7 Dental Problems You Can and Can’t Fix With Invisalign

Here are some dental problems clear aligners can and cannot treat to help you prepare for what to expect before visiting an orthodontist.

1. Crooked teeth

Clear aligners are an ideal solution when it comes to straightening crooked teeth. There’s especially no better option if you’re an adult who looks for something that won’t attract too much attention at work or in public.

2. Overbites

Some foods might be challenging to chew and bite into if you have an overbite, which occurs when your top teeth sprout too far ahead of your lower ones. But can Invisalign braces correct this problem? Yes, there are cases where teeth can be moved using Invisalign so that they line up properly when you close your mouth.

3. Underbites

An underbite, which occurs when the lower teeth are positioned ahead of the upper ones, may hinder speaking and put you at risk of losing your teeth with time. Is an underbite treatable with Invisalign? Yes, the lower teeth may be shifted back using Invisalign so they naturally occupy the space behind the front teeth. In extreme circumstances, braces and Invisalign may be used together, although Invisalign may not be an option in all cases with an underbite.

4. Crossbites

Your teeth may crack, wear down, and even have gum recession as a result of a crossbite, which occurs when certain upper teeth occlude lower teeth rather than sitting outside of them. Do you have any doubts that Invisalign can correct your crossbite? In fact, Invisalign is frequently used to address crossbites and reposition misaligned teeth into their proper positions.

5. Dental gaps

You have a spacing issue if there is a space between two or more of your teeth. Food that gets stuck between teeth and gums in this additional space can lead to gum disease and irritation. The gaps can be filled with Invisalign to give you a healthier mouth and a more attractive smile, but there are limits to how much space can be filled.

6. Open bites

Invisalign can, in fact, repair an open bite (where the top and lower teeth don’t connect) by shifting the upper and lower teeth into the proper positions.

7. Crowded teeth

Crowding is the term for when there is not enough space in the jaw for all of your teeth, causing them to overlap and twist. Because there is less room between teeth, food can get caught there, and plaque and tartar can accumulate, which can lead to gum disease and decay of the enamel. Can Invisalign treat it? Depending on the degree and complexity of the issue, Invisalign may be effective in particular cases of crowding.

The bottom line

Braces can shift teeth with more force and precision than Invisalign can. In order to get the desired results, difficult orthodontic treatments or problems requiring extensive tooth movement would often involve braces rather than Invisalign.

But as technology advances and orthodontists get more experience using Invisalign, the restrictions get fewer day by day. More difficult cases are now being effectively treated with Invisalign compared to a few years ago.