Can Invisalign Fix a Posterior Crossbite?

Answer is yes.  In recent years, Invisalign has made significant improvements in the technology they use to be able to mobilize teeth.  One of these improvements is being able to correct posterior crossbite with Invisalign.  Due to the latest advancements in attachments and customized attachment, Invisalign has been able to devise a way to be able to correct posterior crossbite with aligners along with elastic ware.  These elastics are still inconspicuous since they are in the posterior part of the mouth where they also allow us to have anchors to be able to correct the posterior crossbite.  In fact, some of the recent cases submitted by several of my colleagues have addressed this point and we are showing before and after pictures with 8 mm to 10 mm of expansion with Invisalign which is unbelievable.  See an orthodontist today to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign!

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.

Many people believe that Invisalign is only effective at treating minor orthodontic issues. But the fact is that our 96% patient satisfaction rate1 is a result of successfully treating a broad range of cases, from overly crowded teeth and underbites to jaw problems and tooth misaligment.Crossbite  occurs when the upper and lower jaws are both misaligned. It causes one or more upper teeth to bite on the inside of the lower teeth, and can happen on both the front and the sides of the mouth. This can lead to abnormal tooth wear and chipping, and periodontal problems including gum disease and bone loss. You’ll see for yourself the visible improvements - but the more important aspect is that correcting orthodontic issues can potentially have positive benefits for your overall health.

 


 

If the upper jaw is too narrow then we often place an appliance in the roof of the mouth to expand and then switch to Invisalign. This can take about four months This way you never see braces.

On the other hand if the cross-bite is not so severe Invisalign will correct the cross-bites fine.

Lots of things are now possible with invisalign including posterior crossbite correction.  Having said that though, there are times when due to severity, number of teeth involved, or arch shape that other techniques are far more effective and sometimes combination therapy needs to be used.  Each case is different but having your case submitted to the invisalign computers by your invisalign dentist can get some more definite answers and being open to doing what works best in a particular situation is very important and saves lots of frustration for both patient and doctor.

Hi Elizabeth,

Yes, Invisalign can fix many if not most posterior crossbites. 

You need to have your particular case evaluated for a more definitive answer, but generally Invisalign works really well.

 

Best,

Dr. Alper

The answer to your question is it depends.  Depending on the reason you have the crossbite it could be very difficult and not worth it.  Some invisalign movements are unpredictable and correcting a crossbite is one of those movements.  The best thing to do woud be to consult with an experienced invisalign provider.  Good luck

Like almost all of this type of question: it depends!  If the crossbite is caused by a narrow upper jaw, then probably not...if it is just a dental crossbite, then there is a much better chance.

Not all crossbites need to be corrected, especially as this is usually a hard correction with adult only teeth.  As always, getting evaluated by an experienced orthodontist who does a lot of Invisalign is the way to go!

Invisalign aligners can be used to correct a simple posterior cross-bite of 1 or 2 or more teeth.  However if the upper jaw is very narrow and requires great expansion other methods may be needed to expand the jaw.  Invisalign has come a really long way and if the case is planned properly amazing result can be achieved.

If the posterior crossbite is fairly simple and localized and not much else is needed you might talk to your orthodontist and see if it could be corrected with simple crossbite elastics in the back and nothing at all on the front teeth.  If you would really wear the elastics  well you might be able to correct it faster and for much less cost if that is the only thing that you need.  I would recommend that you go to an orthodontic specialist who has access to  tools other than invisalign that might work better in this situation.