Smiling releases endorphins, chemicals in the brain that trigger pleasure. If you’ve been afraid to smile because you suffer from an overbite or some other orthodontic condition, you aren’t alone.
But now, you can let go of your fear. Invisalign is here.
Overbite correction with Invisalign is not only possible. It’s effective, fast, and comfortable. In this article, you’ll learn all about overbites and how to correct them with Invisalign.
What Is Invisalign?
Invisalign offers orthodontists a great alternative to traditional metal braces. Unlike conventional braces, Invisalign corrects your smile by discreetly using clear aligners.
Invisalign aligners are very similar to those mouthpieces athletes wear to protect their teeth from damage. They are smaller and clear, which makes them easy to wear and difficult for others to notice.
The aligners are completely removable. In fact, you must take them out to brush and eat.
Metal braces and their accompanying wires are attached to your teeth, sometimes for as long as two years. Sometimes metal braces feel awkward, and sometimes they cause a dull ache. Metal braces can even cut and scratch the inside of your mouth.
With Invisalign, you get a break from the awkward mouthfeel, and that’s just the beginning. Often, Invisalign treatments are more effective and take less time to achieve results.
How Does Invisalign Work?
At Wardlaw Orthodontics, we begin your treatment with a 3-D imaging scan of your mouth, teeth, and roots. After careful examination, we diagnose your problem. Then we create a treatment plan to correct the issue or issues.
The treatment plan consists of a series of aligners you must wear. You wear them for 4-6 weeks on average before switching to the next aligner in the series. Each aligner pressures your teeth into moving into the correct position.
In some cases, like with overbites, we use elastic bands to increase the pressure on teeth that might present additional challenges that the mouthpiece alone cannot correct. Every mouth is different, so until we see you, we cannot tell you exactly how long it will take to correct your teeth. Our treatments last between six months and one year on average.
When you’ve completed your aligner regimen, you get a retainer. This retainer will sit behind your teeth and work to keep your teeth from reverting to their original positions.
Retainers come out while you eat and clean your teeth, just like your aligners. Unlike your aligners, you must continue to use your retainer. It’s an unfortunate fact that in most cases, your teeth will move out of position without an opposing force.
What Is an Overbite Correction With Invisalign
We define an overbite is when the top teeth overlap the bottom teeth too far. While some overbite is normal, too much of an overbite can cause problems and affect your smile.
The overlapping teeth can present vertically, meaning the top teeth have a significant overlap of your bottom teeth. An overbite can also present horizontally, which describes when your top teeth protrude out in front of your bottom teeth.
Causes of overbites can be hereditary. Your genetics tell your body how tall you grow, what color eyes you have, and where your jaw and teeth should go.
Having an overbite doesn’t mean you have bad genes. It merely means that you, like 70% of the population, have an overbite of some kind. I guess that puts you in the majority.
Other causes stem from bad oral habits. Toddlers use pacifiers and suck their thumbs. These two habits are primarily responsible for creating orthodontic issues like an overbite.
Adults can have bad habits too, like nail-biting or smoking. These two habits often lead to orthodontic issues later in life.
Overbite Correction With Invisalign
Invisalign’s clear aligners have gained popularity over the traditional metal braces because they are clear and therefore not visible to the casual observer. Invisalign aligners work better than braces in most cases, which makes them even more attractive.
After your 3-D image scan, your orthodontist will order a series of aligners. Every four weeks, you come in for an evaluation. In most cases, you’ll get a new aligner. Sometimes you will need to continue with the current aligner.
Occasionally, we incorporate the use of an elastic band to help shift stubborn teeth. The rubber band adds pressure to help the teeth move. You might need oral surgery before or after treatment to correct other issues like overcrowding in rare cases.
Some conditions require additional orthodontic treatment to maximize your results. Impacted teeth may need traditional braces to raise or lower the teeth before your aligner regimen can begin. Excessive tooth rotation or overcrowding may require surgical intervention before you can start Invisalign.
The Benefits of Invisalign
Invisalign’s removable aligners allow you to feel and look like you. Maybe you’ve got a hot date. You can take the aligner out before you leave the house instead of at the table in that fine dining restaurant. Perhaps you have a job interview and feel more confident without the aligner.
The real beauty of Invisalign is that you won’t be self-conscious wearing them. You’ll smile confidently during a chance romantic encounter or boldly deliver your elevator pitch for your new invention to the CEO you bumped into, well, in the elevator.
By correcting your overbite with Invisalign, you are helping your teeth and gums stay healthy. Overbites can lead to TMJ, which painfully affects the jawbone joint.
Invisalign’s removable aligners allow you better oral hygiene over traditional metal braces. Food and plaque get stuck in metal braces and can lead to cavities, but your clear aligners come out every time you brush and floss.
Is Invisalign Right For You?
Only an experienced Invisalign orthodontist can determine if overbite correction with Invisalign will work for you. At Wardlaw Orthodontics, we specialize in all types of orthodontic treatments, including Invisalign. We invite you to contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
We successfully treat nearly every orthodontic condition: crossbites, open bites, gaps, crowded teeth, and yes, overbites. After your consultation, we are confident we can build a treatment plan that gives you a smile you deserve.
In as little as six months, your overbite could be a thing of the past.