My Gap Did Not Close All the Way After my Initial 10 Trays of Invisalign What Do I Do?

Hi...I am so so sorry that this has happened in your case.  Sometime the Express case does not do the trick and more aligners are needed to close the gap.  Invsialign Clinchecks, or computer renditions, show how the teeth move and what the final outcome should look like. They usually are pretty accurate but it is difficult to predict 100% of the time that this is exactly what will happen. You probably needed a full case and the doctor thought the Express would work well for you. Unfortunately with the Express, Invisalign does not allow for midcourse corrections without charging you.  Talk to your dentist and find out what your options are and then choose the best one so you are happy with your end result and the smile you wanted!

The invisalign system will not work 100% of the time during the initial phase of treatment.  After you have used the initial sets of trays your dentists or orthodontist can take new impressions and submit a refinement to invisalign to complete the necessary movements.  If you only had 10 trays you may have had Invisalign Express which could potentially be a problem. Speak to your dentist and find out what your options are.  Good luck
 

Good news-don't stress!  Sometimes Invisalign tooth movements are not able to be completed due to a greater difficulty in tooth movement then the computer planning can predict.  In these cases different types of attachments can be used to get greater movement  or other modifications to treatment can be done to achieve optimum results.  Therefore the Invisalign company has allowed for refinements to be done at no cost to patients.  This is a great company that very much wants their clients to be satisfied, so talk to your dentist about a refinement series of trays and he can arrange things with Invisalign.  New impressions and pictures will be needed to pick things up from your current position, but good results are definitely possible.

If treatment was planned for only 10 aligners then likely this was an Express Case.  If the gap did not close completely all it means is that there is a need for a couple more aligners.  Best bet is to speak to your doctor and have him take a look at the gap and suggest the best course of action, additional aligners may be ordered.

I find that Invisalign Express is 90 % of the time not enough to deliver an ideal smile with the proper results. Invisalign Express is limited in the sense that you only get a maximum of 10 trays to fix the case. While it is cheaper for the doctor and the paitent to use this method, I find most of the time the paitent is unsatisfied. I would discuss your options with your doctor, since the promised result was not delivered. The least expensive solution would be a circumferential retainer, which will close all the spaces on your upper teeth. The only potential problem would be in the interfernece this would cause with your lower teeth. Meaning, that if you close the upper space completely it could change your bite causing your upper incisors to hit your lower. If this is the case you will need another Express case or potentially a Full Invisalign case. Besides discussing your options with the doctor that did your treatment, you might want to get another opinion from a orthodontist.

Good Luck!

Dr. Jacquie :)

As much as we would LOVE to have everything work as planned, nothing is 100% certain.  The ClinCheck, the computer rendition of teeth as they are planned to be treated, is merely a guess (a very EDUCATED guess) on how teeth move.  It is not unusual for teeth to NOT move as planned, so a "mid course correction" is done (new impressions and new aligners).

It sounds as if you did Invisalign Express, where 10 aligners or less are used.  This is at a discounted fee, but comes with some risks.  Invisalign regular allows mid course corrections at no charge, Invisalign Express does not.

It is likely more treatment is needed.  More aligners, removable retainers, brackets and wires or porcelain veneers should be part of the discussion.

Hi- I would recommend speaking with your invisalign doctor. Sometimes the doctor will get more invisalign trays to close the space or sometimes he/she will use a retainer to close the little bit of remaining space. Please make sure you mention the open contact to your doctor.