When it comes to straightening teeth, there are more options than ever in this day and age. While getting traditional metal braces is certainly one way you can go if you have a child who needs teeth straightening, there are now newer options that might better serve your kid. For example, invisible braces. There are three significant benefits that invisible braces can offer your kid that metal braces simply can't. Here's a look at them.

Pictures

The first advantage here is that pictures are much easier to take when your child has invisible braces. Whether it's snapping a selfie with friends at school or a traditional picture day, nothing makes a kid feel quite as self-aware and anxious as knowing that they have a mouthful of metal on display. It usually calls for smiling without teeth showing in photos, to avoid having to reveal that they have braces. With invisible braces, the plastic is so translucent that they will be completely invisible in photos. However, even if your child is worried about it, the removable nature of invisible braces means that they can take them off while they take the photo and then immediately put them back on, ensuring that every photo will come out perfectly.

Sports

Another big advantage of having invisible braces is that they're much easier to protect. If your child is involved in sports or any other kind of athletic activities, there's always a chance for metal braces to be damaged if they take a blow to the face, like being struck by a ball. While mouthguards can help to protect braces, it's still not a guarantee. This can discourage some parents from wanting their children to be involved in athletic activities, but that's not necessary. Instead, invisible braces can simply be removed before your child starts to engage in these activities. Once the activity is over, they can put them back on. It's as easy as that.

Events

Finally, especially for older children, big events at school start to become more and more important. Things like rallies and prom are times when students want to look their absolute best and create memories that they can look fondly back on. Once again, metal braces can get in the way of this by making people feel self-conscious. While you may not like to think about your child kissing, it can even make that awkward during romantic encounters at dances.

With invisible braces, your child can simply skip wearing them for the duration of the event. While it's not a good idea to go without their braces for a very long time, one night isn't going to offset the duration of their treatment considerably. Invisible braces can offer all of these benefits and more. Ask an orthodontist to find out more.