In this article, we explain the possible causes of crowded teeth and the potential impact on your oral health if you don’t correct this problem. We also explain how Invisalign could help.
What Is Invisalign?
Instead of using fixed brackets and wires to reposition teeth, Invisalign uses clear plastic aligners. These are removable and are custom-made to fit tightly over your teeth, placing pressure on specific teeth and forcing them to move into the proper positions.
Understanding Crowded Teeth
Crowded teeth is a term that can cover a multitude of different situations. It may mean that your teeth overlap or do not bite together properly. Most people have at least a few crooked teeth, but sometimes, it isn’t a problem. Other times, a lack of space in your jawbone can mean teeth are significantly displaced.
What Can Cause Crowded Teeth?
Genetics
Often, crowded teeth are due to genetics. If your parents or siblings have teeth that are crooked or misaligned, it’s highly likely that you will, too.
Oral Habits
Habits like thumb or finger sucking or mouth breathing can affect the development of your jaws. Consequently, your jaws can narrow, resulting in less room for adult teeth to erupt normally.
Losing Baby Teeth Too Soon
It might be that you lost baby teeth too soon. This can happen if baby or milk teeth become infected or decayed and cannot be saved. Losing baby teeth too soon leaves a gap that may be filled as adjacent teeth drift towards it. When your adult teeth try to erupt, there may be too little room left for them to come through straight.
Wisdom Teeth Problems
Wisdom teeth crowding is a common problem. By the time they come through, you already have your adult teeth, and there is often too little room to accommodate four more molars. Wisdom teeth can become impacted where they come up underneath other teeth or will even erupt sideways through the gum.
In this case, Invisalign treatment isn’t the answer, as wisdom teeth must be removed.
Potential Impact on Oral Health
When teeth are overcrowded, it can negatively impact your oral health. You may already realize this if you find it difficult to brush thoroughly or floss because your teeth are too tightly packed in or overlapping. This can increase the risk of gum disease and cavities.
Also, when teeth overlap and are misaligned, it can affect appearance. Even if you are not concerned about how your smile looks, realigning your teeth and correcting problems for overcrowding can result in easier dental hygiene, making it simpler to maintain a healthy mouth.
Can Overcrowded Teeth Cause Pain?
If you have crowded teeth, pain can occur, or overcrowding may be uncomfortable. Usually, the pain is caused when teeth put pressure on each other or when you cannot bite or chew food comfortably. Even if crowding problems are restricted to just a few teeth, they can still cause problems or pain in that area.
How to Fix Crowded Teeth?
If you have crowded teeth, Invisalign is one possible option. Clear aligner treatments like Invisalign can be a great alternative to crowded teeth braces, but several solutions could help you.
How Invisalign Works for Crowded Teeth
Invisalign can often work very well in straightening crowded teeth. It can accomplish complex tooth movements without using fixed brackets and wires. The aligners provide precise tooth movements identified in your custom treatment plan.
If you wear the aligners as directed by our Invisalign dentist, treatment should be predictable and effective.
Patient Experience
How Long Will Treatment Take?
Treatment times are typically similar to traditional braces. The length of time required depends on the problems requiring correction.
Most people will begin to see results by the end of three months. If you have only mild crowding issues, you might complete treatment in as little as six months. Most people will finish treatment in 12 to 18 months, depending on compliance.
If you forget to wear your aligner trays or leave them out for an extended period, it can affect your treatment results.
Treatment Process
The treatment process is straightforward, beginning with a consultation with our Invisalign provider.
- The initial consultation will determine if Invisalign is the right solution and allow you to ask more questions about this treatment.
- If you decide to proceed, we will use 3-D imaging to create your custom treatment plan using Invisalign’s proprietary software.
The software also provides virtual images showing how your crowded teeth will look after treatment. It will let you see how some teeth will be pushed back or rotated back into the proper positions, creating a potentially healthier and more aesthetically pleasing smile.
- Once you approve your plan, Invisalign will create your custom aligners, and you can begin wearing them every day. You must wear them for 20-22 hours each day.
Ideally, we prefer you remove them only for meals and oral care. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of switching out your aligners every two weeks. You will also need to come and see us periodically so we can review your progress.
- Treatment continues until you have worn all your aligners and are ready to begin wearing your retainers. Retainers ensure your teeth remain in their new positions, providing you with results that will last.
“ Great experience, they were very thorough about my scan and what to expect with the timeline of the invisalign. Staff is very friendly. Camera man made me laugh through the process. I definitely recommend. “
Yvette Merced Invisalign Patient
Benefits of Using Invisalign for Crowded Teeth
The potential benefits of choosing Invisalign for your crowded teeth include the following.
Aesthetic Advantages
The aesthetic advantages of Invisalign are very clear. The aligners are virtually invisible, and no brackets or wires interfere with your smile.
Comfort and Convenience
The removable aligners make oral care a breeze as you need to do nothing different from your everyday routine. However, you must clean your teeth after every meal and before replacing your aligners.
You needn’t change your diet because you remove the aligners before eating. No foods or beverages are off the menu, unlike with fixed braces.
The smooth plastic aligners are relatively comfortable to wear as no parts can dig into sensitive cheeks and gums. Some minor discomfort is inevitable with orthodontic treatment as your teeth are forced to move.
Effectiveness
Invisalign has a proven success record in correcting problems with crowded teeth.
Is Invisalign Always the Right Choice?
Invisalign is often a good choice for crowded teeth, but it isn’t always the best option. If you have severe or more complex malocclusion issues, not just crowding, another treatment may be preferable and provide better results.
Related Articles
- Invisalign vs Breezy Braces
- Invisalign vs SureSmile
- Invisalign vs Clear Braces
- Invisalign vs Traditional Braces
This is why a full consultation is necessary with our experienced orthodontist. If we think another option would be better, you can trust us to tell you and to explain this alternative treatment in detail, as well as why we feel it may be better for you. Contact Brooklyn Invisalign Center to book an appointment with an orthodontic specialist Dr. Simons.