What is the Difference Between Invisalign Expansion and the Use of a Palate Expander?

Can invisalign expand, albeit not as significant, in the same manner as a palate expander in a 20 year old or above? Or does a palate expander act in a different manner than invisalign in the process of expansion? My idea right now is that invisalign expands the same as a palate expander would except not nearly as fast or perhaps as significant, please let me know what the correct answer is... I really appreciate the help!

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by joseph22 in Sherman Oaks, CA

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Palate expansion with Invisalign

In order to expand the palate at any age the expanding appliance must be firmly atttached to the teeth. An orthodontic palatal expander is firmly glued to the teeth so any force it exerts is transferred to the bone through the tooth roots. Even with a rigid glued-on appliance like a palatal expander there is a minor tendency for the teeth to tip, which is acceptable because it is minimal. Invisalign is not glued to the teeth at all and if one tries to expand the... more

Invisalign can give some expansion but Slow Palatal Expansion with a removable appliance can give much more

Let me explain the difference of expansion with Invisalign and true palatal expansion. Invisalign will give some expansion, but it is primarily alveolar bone expansion, which is the bone that surrounds the teeth. It is my opinion that this can give a fuller smile and make a non-extraction treatment more possible than will braces alone. However, Functional Facial Orthopedics (aka Dentofacial Orthopedics) using slow palatal expansion techniques with removable... more

The difference is...

A palatal expansion appliance is much more powerful and can expand the bone of the maxilla. Invisalign is very limited in its capability to expand an arch and it almost never involves the jaw bone itself.

Invisalign Can Expand, But Not like a Palatal expander

Invisalign is tradtionally used for adults to straighten their teeth. When crowding is present one of the modalities we use to gain space is expanding the jaw by tilting the teeth. Palatal expansion in adults is not possible unless the SARPE (surgically assisted removable palatal expander) method is used. This involves a surgical procedure where the palate is separated. In children where they are still growing palatal expansion is possible with an expander and NO surgery because their bones... more

Expansion: Invisalign vs Palatal Expander

Before we get any further lets define the type of expansion possible in a growing person versus that possible in a non-growing person. At puberty, skeletal growth ceases in most cases, expansion of the palate (palatal bones) is not possible due to the fusion of the palatal sutures. Any expansion achieved, in a non-growing person is usually the result of tipping (dental expansion) the teeth outwards or forward (front teeth). This kind of tooth movement is not always desirable. In... more

Invisalign not as effective as a palatal expander

A palatal expander works best in children before their bones have totally fused (usually late teens, early 20s). Invisalign will not expand your palate at all, especially since it doesn't sit on the palate at all. Invisalign works best at tipping the teeth in or out, which gives the illusion that there has been expansion, but not in the same way that a true palatal expander would work.