What it handles well
- Crowding, where teeth overlap because there is not quite enough room
- Spacing and small gaps between teeth
- Teeth that have drifted back after previous orthodontics -- a very common reason people come in
- Mild to moderate bite problems where the back teeth already meet reasonably well
- Tipping and rotating individual teeth into line
Where it struggles
Aligners move teeth by pushing on the crown, the part above the gum. That works well for tipping a tooth and less well for moving a whole root through bone.
So: large rotations of round teeth like premolars, teeth that need to move a long way vertically, severe crowding needing extractions, and skeletal problems where the jaws themselves are mismatched. Those last ones are not an aligner problem at all -- no appliance moves a jaw, and the answer is an orthodontist and sometimes a surgeon.
A practice that says aligners can fix anything is telling you something about the practice rather than about aligners.
How the answer is reached
A scan with the iTero, photographs, and usually an x-ray. Those go into planning software that produces a projected sequence of movements, tooth by tooth, and the number of trays it would take.
That projection is the useful part. You can see whether the result is what you wanted, and you can see the cases where the software has to move a tooth further than is realistic. If the plan does not do what you hoped, that is the moment to find out.
Attachments, and the thing nobody mentions
Most cases need attachments: small tooth-coloured bumps bonded to some teeth that give the tray something to grip. They are removed at the end and they are the reason a case works, but they do make the aligners more visible than the marketing suggests.
The other thing: retainers are not optional afterwards, and they are not temporary. Teeth move for life. Anyone who has had braces as a teenager and needs aligners again at forty is living proof of what happens when retainers stop being worn.
Common questions
Asked at the front desk.
Can Invisalign fix an overbite?
Mild to moderate ones, often yes. A severe overbite caused by the jaws themselves being mismatched is not something any aligner moves -- that needs an orthodontist and sometimes a surgeon.
How do I know if I am a candidate for Invisalign?
A scan, photographs and usually an x-ray produce a projected sequence of movements you can look at before committing. If the plan does not achieve what you wanted, that is the point to find out.
Does Invisalign work for crowded teeth?
Crowding is one of the things it handles best, as long as the crowding does not need teeth extracted to create room.
Are the attachments visible?
Somewhat. They are tooth-coloured bumps bonded to some teeth so the tray has something to grip, and they are removed at the end. Most cases need them.
Next step
One phone call, and someone answers it.
3608 Carrington Rd #204, West Kelowna. Thursdays until 7pm, Fridays from 7am. Accepting new patients of every age.