Common Dental Issues That Invisalign Has Been Proven to Effectively Treat

When you visit the doctors at Greenway Dental Group in Greenbelt, Maryland, you can trust in their ability to provide world-class dental care that is safe and effective. They understand that your smile plays a huge part in who you are and the image you portray to the public. If your smile is less than ideal, the Greenway Dental Group would like to help you with that. One treatment you may benefit from learning more about is Invisalign clear aligners.

Invisalign utilizes a series of custom-crafted clear plastic aligners to correct alignment issues with your teeth. Wearing your aligners for 22 hours a day, every day is incredibly easy due to their comfortable fit and feel. The aligners are easily removable for when you need to eat or drink and also when you need to perform oral hygiene or clean the aligners. Here are a few common tooth alignment issues for which Invisalign has proven to be an effective treatment.

Overbite

When your top teeth stick out over your bottom teeth, this is an overbite. Overbites are very common and, in the case of a very slight overbite, considered normal. However, if your top teeth stick out too far over your bottom, this is an unhealthy overbite and will require treatment. If not treated, an overbite could result in unhealthy wear on your teeth, pain in your jaw and leave your top front teeth open to damage. Invisalign is often used to fix overbites. Special Invisalign attachments (precision wings or rubber bands) may even be recommended depending on how bad the overbite is. These attachments, in combination with the clear aligners, will help shift your teeth and jaws into their ideal position for a functional and healthy bite.

Underbite

An underbite is the inverse of an overbite – your bottom teeth extend out over your upper teeth when your mouth is resting in a closed position. Underbites can be caused by several things, including a lower jaw that has grown faster than the upper jaw, resulting in it jutting out further. Underbites can cause functional problems, including trouble chewing and speaking properly. Like an overbite, an underbite can result in damaging wear of the teeth. Due to underbite being a skeletal issue involving your lower jaw, more severe cases will require surgery in conjunction with orthodontic treatment. However, due to the evolution of dental treatments and techniques, underbites are now more easily treated without surgery and can sometimes even be fixed with Invisalign alone.

Crossbite

You have a crossbite if you have upper teeth that sit inside your lower teeth when your mouth is closed. A crossbite can be classified as either a back or front crossbite. This depends on where your misaligned teeth are located. A crossbite can cause excessive wear on your teeth and lead to issues such as chipped teeth or gum recession. A crossbite can develop due to an early loss of baby teeth, tooth trauma, genetics, and bad oral habits. Many people manually compensate for their crossbite by shifting their jaw to one side or the other. Over time, this compensation can lead to a change in facial structure and can also affect future jaw growth. This makes treatment very important. Thankfully, Invisalign can treat most cases of crossbite.

If you are ready to learn more about Invisalign clear aligners, please contact Greenway Dental Group today by calling (301) 778-2806.