There are a couple of options within the Invisalign Express option. The use of these depends on what you need doing. Fundamentally, it works in a very similar way to the standard Invisalign treatment but is aimed at people who need much less work done. Be sure to research it thoroughly so you are happy that it meets what you expect.
Based on what you’re showing us, your Invisalign treatment would indeed be likely to take less than a year to complete although it may be closer to the full year or just over. Of course, pictures don’t tell a full story, so an orthodontist would have the best estimate.
If the tooth is congenitally absent, closure of the space or opening the space for a replacement tooth can be achieved with Invisalign in combination with the rest of your treatment. However, if the missing tooth is unerupted and is in the jaw, treatment is best to be done by fixed braces in order to align the unerupted tooth. Well, what is certain is that Invisalign cannot bring down your missing tooth. Your particular options for treatment will be affected by this tooth and whatever reason there is for why it never came down in the first place. Sort that out first and then you can revisit the idea of Invisalign.
Generally rubber bands are used with fixed braces only. You will likely find that this system does address what your daughter needs. She may also prefer it as Invisalign is much harder to see and teens often prefer this aesthetic advantage! As with any orthodontic work, it really depends on her mouth and her specific issues that need addressing so discuss it with her orthodontist.
It is likely that Invisalign could work for you. It depends on why you have the posterior cross-bite. Sometimes, these can be due to a narrow jaw and that will probably affect what you need. If it’s something simple, Invisalign has been known to work well for crossbites.
