How Can Invisalign Benefit Me?

Over 80% of adults are excellent candidates for the Invisalign treatment. Some of the most common problems are: crowding (not enough room for the teeth to be aligned), spacing (too much space between the teeth), overbite (upper teeth cover too much of the lower teeth) and overjet (teeth sticking out or "buck" teeth).

Besides the fact that Invisalign allows you to straighten your teeth without braces, perhaps the one reason people love it the most is that they can take out the aligners to eat their food and clean their teeth.

We have included some pictures to show these and some of the other problems. During your consultation with Dr. Eslampour, your specific needs and wants will be discussed more in detail.

Crowded, crooked or tipped teeth

Crowding

This condition is very common among adults. Fortunately, it can be corrected nicely with the aid of Invisalign aligners.

The health and dental consequences of leaving your teeth crooked and crowded are:
    *Poor gum health
    *Increase in gum disease and periodontal disease
    *Poor immunity, heart complications, developing diabetes
    *In pregnant women increased risk of premature births
    *Increase in cavities

Spacing or gaps

Spacing
When there is too much spaces between the teeth, esthetics are greatly affected. Invisalign to the rescue! The aligners work to close the gaps between the teeth by actually moving the teeth closer together. Of course, at times the actual teeth might be smaller than what they ought to be from a cosmetic standpoint. Closing the spaces in between these already smaller-than-average-teeth will only make the smile look older and more aged. Sometimes Invisalign may not be the final solution, but part of a bigger dental treatment (Invisalign then veneers, etc.).

While there are no immediate dental or medical consequences of spacing problems, there are esthetic and social hardships. Your smile is a big factor in what someone you meet will think of you. There are very few people who truly do not care and won't let this stop them from achieving their success. Look at Pete Rose, or (the football player). Even in your own personal life you may have a friend with some spacing. But for every one of these unique individuals, there are thousands who do not like their smile. They don't have a good self image. This affects their self esteem, which makes them appear less confident. Perspective employers and/or social partners will sense this and move on to the next candidate. Why handicap yourself when the solution is so simple.

Cross-Bites, crooked or shifted bite

When the upper teeth are not positioned on the outside of the lower teeth, the condition is called a cross-bite. In the picture below, the right side of the image towards the back is OK. Compare that to the left side of the image in the back. Or look the front 4 teeth. Notice the right side front tooth being behind the bottom teeth.

In the front part of the mouth as immediately seen in your smile, a crossbite looks unpleasant. The tooth most commonly affected is the one right next to the front tooth. But sometimes all the upper front four or six teeth are behind which makes the smile look not very pleasant. In these cases the profile (or side view) of the individual does not look attractive since the upper lip is so non-existent compared to lower lip.

When the cross-bite is more to the back of the mouth it doesn't so much affect your smile as it affects your entire facial structure. Typically, the cheeks on that side with the cross bite will look sunken in compared the opposite side. Development of "bags under eyes" is more prominent on that side. Overall the face will appear uneven.

Besides esthetic issues, cross bites have implications in terms of your dental health as well.
    *Extra wear and tear on your teeth.
    *Increase in teeth chipping and breaking
    *Increase in restorative dentistry
    *Increase likelihood of pain
    *Mal-nutrition

When teeth are not lined up properly they get beat up every time you chew or put your teeth together (like when you swallow). This leads to your teeth breaking down faster, requiring repair with bondings or crowns. Sometimes the extra wear on the teeth leads to development of pain in and around your face, head and neck. As you can see the dental implications can be costly and painful. And if you don't eat because it hurts too much to eat, then you start your journey into the world of Mal-Nutrition and all of its long term medical consequences.

Deep Bites or over bite

Sometimes the top teeth cover too much (overlap too much) of the lower teeth especially in the front. Deep bite as this condition is referred to can be quite complicated to treat. It is important to realize that while Invisalign can improve the esthetic outcome, due to complexities of this problem, additional treatments might be necessary to correct all of the problems. Under the correct circumstances though, Invisalign may be used as the sole treatment with this condition.

Dental consequences of a deep bite gone untreated are many.
    *Teeth super-erupting (growing out of the bone).
    *Biting issues and difficulties.
    *"Goofy" smile (think Disney character)
    *Jaw and facial pain.
    *Speech and eating affected.
    *Increase in accidental lip biting.
    *Breathing difficulties and sleep apneas.

Not only is Invisalign versatile, helping correct a wide range of dental and orthodontic issues, but it works efficiently. And there are over one million smiles to back that up. But a confident smile isn't the only benefit of correcting your dental issues with Invisalign, your health can be positively impacted as well. Having straighter teeth makes your home care and personal hygiene much easier leading to healthier teeth and gums.

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