Are you suffering from an overbite? Perhaps you are an incessant nail biter or it runs in your family. An overbite can be an uncomfortable misalignment issue to experience.
Whether it’s impacting your speech or ability to eat, or you simply don’t like the way it looks, an overbite can thankfully be corrected with the right oral health treatment and care, like braces and retainers.
If you’re set on avoiding braces, you may be wondering, ‘Can Invisalign correct an overbite?’
In this article we’ll explore the basics of an overbite, whether you can correct an overbite with Invisalign, and what that process may look like.
What is an overbite?
An overbite is a misalignment of teeth that results in the front teeth flaring out in front of the lower front teeth. You may even hear of an overbite referred to as ‘buck teeth’.
What causes an overbite?
An overbite may be caused either by genetics or a range of behaviours.
If an overbite runs in your family, that often means that your jaw shape or the alignment of your teeth are predisposed to malocclusion, a term which refers to the misalignment of teeth.
Overbites caused by behaviours will usually appear in your formative years (around your third year of age). These behaviours include using a pacifier, sucking your thumb excessively, or tongue thrusting behind your front teeth.
However, an overbite can still develop into adulthood. If you excessively bite your nails, chew the back of your pen, grind your teeth or tongue thrust, you may be susceptible to developing an overbite.
The impacts of an overbite
Aside from potentially impacting your confidence, an overbite can pose a number of health issues if it remains untreated.
In terms of your day-to-day functioning, an overbite may impact your breathing and cause jaw pain or pain and difficulty while eating. You may find it difficult to open and close your mouth, and it may also impact your ability to speak clearly and comfortably.
An overbite can also lead to teeth and gum issues. Not only can it increase your risk of gum disease, but it can also increase your risk of developing tooth decay or cavities or grinding away tooth enamel.
Can you prevent an overbite?
If you’re wondering if Invisalign can correct an overbite, you may be curious to find out if an overbite is or was preventable.
In some cases, an overbite can be prevented from an early age. Prevention includes reducing overbite-forming behaviours like thumb sucking, excessive use of sippy cups and limiting pacifiers after the age of three.
However, the best way to prevent and monitor the development of an overbite is through regular dental visits.
How to fix an overbite
The first step in fixing an overbite is receiving a diagnosis from a reputable dentist.
Once you book a consultation with your dentist of choice, they will conduct a physical exam to determine whether you do suffer from an overbite, and how severe it is.
Dental X-rays are a useful tool your dentist may choose to use to examine the alignment of your teeth, or to analyse your overbite in greater detail.
Once you have been diagnosed with an overbite, your dentist will refer you to an orthodontist who will discuss a range of treatments available to you. These treatments will be determined by age.
For children, treatment options may include:
- Growth modification devices used to reposition jaw alignment during growth spurts, like palate expanders
- The removal of baby teeth to make way for adult teeth
- Braces and retainers.
For adults, treatment options available include:
- Jaw surgery to correct realignment
- Teeth removal to reduce overcrowding
- Braces
- Invisalign
Can Invisalign correct an overbite?
Invisalign is a treatment option for a range of misalignment issues that includes utilising a series of translucent aligners to gently straighten your teeth over a course of time.
So, can you correct an overbite with invisalign? The answer is yes. Invisalign can be instrumental to correcting mild and moderate overbites, even if you are missing teeth.
Invisalign is a revolutionary tool to correct a number of tooth misalignment issues including crowded or gapped teeth, an underbite, crossbite, open bite or an overbite.
Invisalign vs braces
When Invisalign is used to correct an overbite or other misalignment issue, it comes with a range of exclusive benefits that make it the preferred correction choice for many people.
Let’s explore some of them below.
Discreteness
Unlike braces, Invisalign is nearly invisible. There won’t be any wires or brackets crowding your smile so you can smile confidently.
They’re removable
While braces are fixed to your teeth, Invisalign aligners are easy to put on and take off.
Being made from flexible material, you are able to remove your Invisalign whenever you choose.
This can be incredibly useful when eating, flossing and brushing your teeth.
Better oral hygiene
Because Invisalign is removable, you are able to maintain your oral hygiene more effectively than if you were to have braces.
No wires, elastics, hooks or brackets will prevent you from accessing your gums or between your teeth, allowing you to floss and brush more thoroughly.
Less pain
A 2007 study found that Invisalign was less painful in the first week than traditional treatment options like braces.
Fewer emergency visits
You won’t have to worry about broken wires or caught braces rushing you into an unplanned dental appointment.
Invisalign overbite correction: how it works
The Invisalign process utilises traditional orthodontic techniques in conjunction with technology to recorrect misalignment.
Step one: Confirming if Invisalign can correct your overbite.
First, an orthodontist will confirm whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign, and whether other procedures may need to take place beforehand to ensure the best results.
Step two: Your smile journey.
Once it has been confirmed that Invisalign can correct your overbite, the orthodontist will conduct an X-ray and create a 3D dental impression that will inform the digital map of your Invisalign journey.
Your Invisalign treatment may be paired with elastics or rubber bands that hook to your top and bottom aligners to better assist the alignment of your jaw and teeth.
Step three: Your Invisalign aligners.
The orthodontist will then custom-make an aligner for you out of flexible plastic.
You will be required to wear your aligner 22 hours a day, and only take them out to brush your teeth and eat. If you wear them less often, you may find the treatment process will be delayed.
Your aligner will be replaced weekly or fortnightly depending on your treatment plan, with each aligner specifically designed and manufactured to your next stage of treatment.
The aligners will work by placing pressure on teeth to encourage the migration of moving into a new position.
With each new aligner, your orthodontist will change the amount of pressure and the direction of pressure applied until your overbite is corrected. This will go on anywhere between 6 and 20 months.
Step four: the result
Once you and your orthodontist are satisfied with your new smile, your Invisalign journey will come to an end.
Your orthodontist may recommend you wear a retainer after your Invisalign treatment is complete to ensure your jaw bone formation has ample time to build and grow to support your new smile.
The takeaway
In summary, can Invisalign correct an overbite? Yes. Invisalign is a powerful tool that treats mild to moderate overbites through the use of removable plastic aligners.
Not only do these aligners allow you to eat and maintain your oral hygiene smoothly, but they’re also less painful and include a more streamlined process.
If you’re looking to change your smile for the better, contact us today for a consultation to see if Invisalign is right for you.
Invisalign before and after overbite
Our incredible results show just how much Invisalign can correct an overbite.
Take a look to see how we have helped hundreds of Dental Boutique patients transform their smile using Invisalign.
