I am an Invisalign Teen^® brand spokesperson and all opinions expressed are my own. Full disclosure.

It’s back to school time for kids across the country! You can’t walk into any American mall without being bombarded with back to school posters everywhere! You need THESE jeans. You need THIS backpack. You have to have THESE shoes. You can’t go back to school without THAT top.  It’s all there and it can be (yes) overwhelming.  Every mom and dad out there wants to do what he or she can to make the new year an easy and seamless transition for their kids. We shop. We buy. We do the necessary things. Right around this time tweens and teens are dealing with so many new things for the new upcoming year, never mind (the added layer) of keeping up their self-confidence during this back to school season. It can be a tough time for kids.

There can be many issues that contribute to not having a ton of self-confidence for teens nowadays, but one of them is teeth that aren’t straight. I remember getting braces during the summer when I was a tween. It was tough for me because I had the metal ones that you could see miles away on my teeth!  I wish, wish, wish years ago (too many to count!) that Invisalign Teen^® clear aligners had been an option for me. My teeth were extremely crooked, so braces weren’t really an option, they were a necessity.  With 5 kids, and so far… with the oldest ones – the apple doesn’t fall far from the teeth-tree with them.  My sons Alex and Benjamin are 2 of my sons that absolutely need some intervention when it comes to straightening their teeth. With back to school time here, it’s just another layer to add into everything. Fortunately, I know they’re not alone in this world when it comes to needing some teeth straightening help.

With back to school time here, I’m excited to share with you all about Invisalign Teen treatment. It’s such an incredible option out there for kids, especially during this time in their life when self-confidence IS so important.

As you know from me blogging about Invisalign Teen in the past, it’s a custom-made series of clear, comfortable aligners that you wear over your teeth. That’s the beauty right there.

1. (Virtually) clear
2. You pop-over teeth

Every 2 weeks, all you do is pop in a new set of aligners and your teeth – over time – will gradually shift into place.

You know what I love about this for teens?

No metal wires. I repeat. No metal wires.

You want your teen to smile for photos, right? This will ensure that they will! I’m not kidding – I don’t think there’s one photo of me smiling with my teeth showing when I had my braces.

I love hearing that the Invisalign Teen brand collaborated with leading parenting expert and author Erika Katz to create The Free Parenting Guide to “Unbrace Teen Confidence.” With this guide parents can find the necessary tools to learn how to help their teen(s) build a foundation of self-esteem.  I love this…what a wonderful resource for parents.

What really hit home for me were the stats from a study done by the Invisalign team:

• 54% of teens felt their life would be better without social media (not shocked by this, I feel the same way as an adult woman!)
• 40% feel their appearance is being judged more closely on social media than in person
• 90% of teens feel judged by their peers; 94% of teens believe looks affect popularity (this is a timeless stat, it’s sad to see that this still affects teens today)
• The majority of teens (57%) think that crooked teeth are embarrassing vs. 23% of moms. But while 41% of teens feel wearing traditional braces is embarrassing, only 18% of moms agree
• 92% of teens say that wearing metal braces would keep them from fitting in with their peers 

Pretty incredible, right?

Imagine feeling all this while being a full-time student. At least as adults we have outlets and things that can take up our time. And, the biggest – we have the knowledge of time on our side.  With Invisalign Teen, the clear aligners can give teens confidence while improving their smile. You can’t put a price on that!

• Teens wearing Invisalign Teen are 68% less likely to be teased than those wearing metal braces.
• While in treatment, it’s two times more likely for teens using Invisalign Teen clear aligners to experience a boost in self-esteem than teens wearing traditional braces.
• 40% of teens think that wearing traditional braces would have or has had a negative impact on their self-confidence, while just 13% say this about Invisalign treatment.

I love this.

I love that Invisalign Teen is doing something good for teens and their parents.

And on a personal level, as a mom of 5… I love that this option is available for my kids.

Click here to view and download the free parenting guide, view the complete survey and learn more about what teens and moms have to say about confidence.