Invisalign Teen | Merrimack & New Boston, NH | River Orthodontics

Invisalign Teen uses removable clear trays to straighten teeth without brackets or wires, and it's built with teenagers in mind. That means wear indicators to track progress and replacement aligners for the ones that inevitably go missing. Dr. Hernandez and the team at River Orthodontics see teens at our New Boston and Merrimack offices, and we walk you through everything before you commit to anything.

Some details don't make it into the brochure: the small tooth-colored attachments, how long your teen needs to wear the trays each day, and the short round of extra aligners at the end that fine-tune the result. None of that is a surprise or a complication, and you deserve to know how it all works before you decide anything.

Call us at (603) 424-1199 or request an appointment and we'll talk through your teen's situation together.

Quick Takeaways

• Dr. Hernandez is a board-certified orthodontist with three extra years of specialized training in tooth movement, so the plan behind your teen's aligners comes from a genuine specialist.
• When you're comparing providers, it's worth asking: Will my teen need attachments? Will they need IPR? How do refinements work at your practice?
• Aligners need to be worn 20 to 22 hours a day, and each tray has a built-in blue indicator that fades with wear so we can track that together at check-ins.
• Most teen cases finish in 12 to 18 months, and before you commit to anything you'll see an estimated timeline, the full cost, and the financing and payment options we offer.

How Invisalign Teen Works, Step by Step

1. The consultation and digital scan

Dr. Hernandez looks at your teen's bite, jaw growth, and tooth positions, then we capture everything with a gunk-free iTero digital scan that skips the trays of goop and gagging. We also take a 3D cone beam image that shows what's happening beneath the gumline, including roots and teeth still coming in. You can request a consultation at either our New Boston or Merrimack office.

2. The treatment plan you actually get to see

Using the scan, we map out every tooth movement before a single aligner is made. You'll see the projected result, the estimated number of trays, and the timeline. This is also where we tell you whether your teen will need attachments or IPR. If you're weighing this against traditional braces, that comparison is worth bringing up at the consultation.

3. Attachment placement and the first trays

Attachments are small tooth-colored dots bonded to certain teeth. They give the smooth plastic something to grip so trickier movements, like rotating a pointy eyetooth, can actually happen. They're bonded on, not drilled, and they come off once treatment is finished.

4. Swapping trays at home

Your teen moves to a new set of trays on the schedule we give them, usually every one to two weeks. Each tray shifts teeth a small, planned amount. Aligners come out to eat, drink anything but water, brush, and floss, and should be back in for everything else.

5. Check-ins and refinements

We see your teen every couple of months to make sure teeth are moving as planned, and those appointments tend to be pretty quick. Near the end, most patients get a refinement, a brief extra round of aligners that dials in the final details. The FAQ section below touches on why refinements happen and what to expect.

What Invisalign Teen Actually Does for Your Teenager

Picture your teen on a stage, in a group photo, or mid-conversation with someone they're trying to impress. Clear trays don't draw attention in any of those moments, which matters a lot at 14.

The rest of the difference shows up in everyday life:

• Trays come out for meals, so there are no forbidden foods and no snapped brackets the night before a trip.
• Your teen brushes their actual teeth rather than around hardware, which keeps gums healthier and helps avoid the white spots braces can leave behind.
• Nothing pokes and nothing comes loose, which means fewer unplanned visits and fewer school hours missed.
• Dr. Hernandez plans for a bite that functions well long-term, because straight-looking teeth that don't fit together properly won't hold their result.
• The blue wear indicators make it easy to spot if trays aren't being worn enough, so we can catch it early and get back on track.

Ready to find out if this is the right fit? Call (603) 424-1199 to reach our New Boston or Merrimack office and we'll talk through your teen's situation with you honestly and without any pressure.

Is Your Teen a Good Candidate?

Invisalign Teen works well for a wide range of crowding, spacing, and bite issues. It's a strong fit when your teen has most or all of their permanent teeth, can keep track of a retainer-style appliance, and is genuinely on board.

It's worth knowing the limits, though. Some tooth movements, like spinning a stubborn tooth, closing a big vertical gap, or correcting a jaw that's significantly off, tend to work more predictably with braces.

Teens who aren't ready for the daily responsibility of wearing and removing trays often do better with braces that work whether or not anyone remembers them. That's not a judgment on your kid. Some teens love the freedom of removable aligners and some are relieved to hand the job over to brackets.

We offer traditional braces as well, and if Dr. Hernandez thinks they'll get your teen a better result, he'll say so and explain why.

Timeline: What the Next Year and a Half Looks Like

Most teen cases at River Orthodontics finish in roughly 12 to 18 months. Simpler crowding can wrap sooner, and bigger bite corrections take a little longer.

Weeks 1 to 4: records, plan, and delivery

First comes the consultation, digital scan, and a review of the treatment plan together. Aligners take a couple of weeks to be made. At the delivery appointment we place attachments, fit the first trays, and show your teen how to put them in and take them out.

Months 1 to 3: adjusting

The first few days with each new tray feel snug. That gentle pressure is exactly what's moving the teeth. Teens usually settle into the routine within two or three tray changes, and any speech quirks disappear in about a week.

Months 3 to 12: steady progress

This stretch is pretty quiet on your end. Your teen swaps trays at home on schedule, and we check in every couple of months to make sure teeth are moving as planned. Keeping wear time consistent is what keeps the finish date on track. If it slips, we'll flag it at a check-in rather than months later.

Final months: refinement and retainers

We rescan, order any refinement aligners needed, remove the attachments, and polish everything smooth. Retainers come after that, and skipping them isn't really an option. Teeth shift over time, and the retainer is what keeps your investment in place.

Getting Ready and Keeping the Result

Before the first aligners go in, make sure your teen is current on cleanings and any dental work with their regular dentist. Aligners are made to fit teeth as they are, so fillings or sealants should be taken care of first. It also helps to talk as a family about how much wear time is realistic before treatment starts. If you are not sure where your teen stands, a free consultation is a great place to figure that out.

Day-to-day habits that keep treatment on schedule:

• Brush before putting trays back in after eating, not after.
• Stick to water while trays are in, because coffee, soda, and sports drinks stain aligners and hold sugar against the teeth.
• Rinse aligners with cool water and brush them gently, since hot water warps the plastic.
• Keep the case in a backpack rather than a napkin, because napkins have a way of ending up in trash cans.
• Hold onto the previous tray until the new one is fitting the way it should.

Once treatment wraps up, your teen will need to wear a retainer full-time at first and then every night after that. Keep it away from heat, bring it to visits, and let us know right away if it cracks or stops fitting right. Dr. Hernandez and our team are happy to answer any questions about retainers or daily habits at your next visit.

Cost, Insurance, and Payment Options

We don't list a single price for Invisalign Teen, because the cost depends on your teen's specific case: how much movement is needed, how many trays it takes, and how long treatment runs.

The number we quote is the number you pay, and that includes the refinement phase, so a final round of aligners to fine-tune the result won't show up as a surprise charge at the end.

If your dental plan includes orthodontic benefits, those usually apply to clear aligners just like they do to braces. Bring your insurance card and we'll help you figure out what your plan covers and what you'd pay out of pocket. We also offer no-interest financing so the cost can be spread out over the course of treatment.

Why Merrimack and New Boston Families Choose Us

Clear aligners are widely available now, including from providers who added them to a general dentistry menu. The difference shows up in the harder cases and in the planning. Dr. Hernandez earned his doctorate at the University of Kentucky, spent four years practicing general dentistry in Hawaii, taught as full-time clinical faculty in the NYU dental residency program, and then completed a three-year specialty residency at Nova Southeastern University, earning a Master of Science in Orthodontics, the specialty focused specifically on tooth movement and jaw development. Treating teenagers in active growth is exactly what that training covers.

Consultations are judgment-free, and we keep things genuinely light. Most of our patients are between 9 and 15, right in the years when life already feels like a lot.

We treat everything from simple crowding to more involved bite corrections, and we offer both Invisalign Teen and traditional braces so the recommendation is always based on what will actually work best for your teen.

With offices in Merrimack and New Boston, whichever location is closer to you works just as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Invisalign Teen different from regular Invisalign?

Invisalign Teen includes two features built specifically for teenagers. Blue dots on each tray fade with wear, giving you and us an honest read on how long they're actually being worn, and replacement aligners are built into the program because teenagers lose things. The underlying treatment is the same clear aligner system.

What is IPR, and will my teen need it?

IPR, short for interproximal reduction, is a tiny amount of polishing between certain teeth to create space for crowded teeth to line up. We're talking fractions of a millimeter, done with a thin strip or disc. It doesn't hurt and it doesn't weaken the teeth. Not every case needs it, and if yours does, we'll tell you at the planning stage rather than on the day of the appointment.

Why do so many people need refinements?

Teeth don't always move exactly the way the computer predicted, and that's completely normal. Refinement aligners are a short extra series that closes the gap between the plan and where your teeth actually landed. Most cases include some refinement, which is why we build it into the conversation and the fee rather than treating it as a surprise.

What if my teen doesn't wear the aligners enough?

When trays aren't worn enough, progress stalls and the timeline stretches, but the wear indicators help us catch it early so we can have a calm, straightforward conversation with your teen about it. If wearing them consistently stays a real challenge, we'll talk honestly about switching to braces rather than letting months slip away.

Can my teen play sports or a wind instrument?

For contact sports, a mouthguard is still needed and fits right over the aligners, or the trays can come out for the game. For wind and brass players there's usually a short adjustment period before things normalize, and any missed wear time just needs to be made up elsewhere in the day.

Does Invisalign Teen take longer than braces?

For most teens, treatment length is comparable to braces, and wear time is really the deciding variable. A teen who keeps trays in for 22 hours a day tends to finish right on schedule.

Let's Find Out What's Right for Your Teen

Come in, let Dr. Hernandez take a look, and get a real recommendation based on your teen's teeth and bite: Invisalign Teen, braces, or simply waiting a little longer. Attachments, IPR, refinements, timeline, and total cost all get covered in that same visit, before you commit to anything.

Call (603) 424-1199 or request an appointment at whichever office works best, and feel free to come with any questions you have: 52 High Street in New Boston, or 27 Loop Rd in Merrimack.