Crossbite - Invisalign or Braces?

[invisorbrace]

Hey guys,

I have a mild-ish cross bite, where my bottom mid-line is in the right place, but my top mid-line is 1/4 inch to my right. I also have some teeth that have shifted due to my unaligned bite.

I recently went to an orthodontist who said a simple treatment of Invisalign would fix my problem. I went to go get a second opinion, and that orthodontist said he would definitely recommend getting an expander and braces at the same time.

I'm a college student, and while I realize this time isn't as crucial as my adult years where having braces is less appropriate, I am extremely vain (at least I admit it :P) and cannot have train tracks while in college.

The orthodontist who said I needed an expander and braces also said that he wouldn't recommend Invisalign for my case. But when I asked why, he just said it may not turn out as well as it would with conventional braces. And when I asked what the difference would be, he says he doesn't know.

I'm extremely torn because while I want the best thing for my teeth in order to achieve the most perfect smile (vain, I know...), I also want something like Invisalign where no one can see that I have something on.

Has anyone else gone from the expander & braces route to the Invisalign route? Or possibly even expander & Invisalign route? What could the differences be between getting braces and Invisalign in terms of differing results?

Thanks!!

[Sunny]

You need to consult with some more ortho's after getting such a huge difference with these two consults.

If you need an expander than you definitely sound to have a case that invisalign could not treat, but first you need to find out if you really do need an expander. Expanders can't expand the jaw bone if you've stopped growing, although they can still push some teeth out in the jaw bone to help with problems like cross bites.

Good luck having more consults.

[EAMckinley]

Hi there~

I had traditional braces for 3 years in the early 90's but am now wearing invisalign. I wish I would have done a little more research before getting the invisalign. If I had I would have choosen clear braces. I do not recommend the discomfort, irritation and not so invisable invisalign. Not sure if that helps you but I hope I can save someone the misery I will be in for the next 9 months. My teeth hurt and it is such a pain to remove the aligner to eat I have lost about 5 lbs in 6 days. Which can be good...just not very fun. My entire mouth is irrated from the stress.

[Sunny]

Invisalign is a disciplined procedure, but with dedication to the product being used, it's also a very successful way to achieve outstanding results.

There are now more and more experienced orthodontist's using this procedure to produce the same results as brackets and archwires. Dr Tam, a regualr ortho on this site, is one of those people.

EAMckinley ... I recommend you spend time planning your meals, so that they are high quality and can be eaten in the two hours you should spend free of your aligners. Also making sure the aligners are smooth before you leave your ortho, is the same as you do when checking that archwires aren't sticking out etc. If your aligners are rough, a gentle rub with a nail file will so correct that. For your mouth, rinsing with warm salt water 5+ times a day should help.

The aligners move teeth, like brackets do ... and if you're a person who has sensitivity or can feel this movement, it won't matter what product you use.

No matter what type of orthodontic appliance a person has, there is a period of adjustment. Good luck with you adjusting soon and your mouth feeling loads better.