Is Invisalign Appropriate for Jaw Alignment Treatment?

TMJ issues are complicated and if treated orthodontically then traditional brackets and wires have more control. Often the bite issues are resolved first and once stable (3-6 months of stability), the orthodontics can be started. Invisalign usually is not effective in these cases, and the relationship between orthodontics and jaw dysfunction is hotly debated.  If you  are reporting no pain and are just being told your jaw is not aligned, I would suggest another opinion just to be safe.

I will definitely do a little bit more research! Almost all your symptoms can be taken care of if you look into TMD or most common called TMJ.Many people who suffer from headaches, chronic neck or facial pain, or even ringing in the ears do not know that their bite may be to blame. Only a trained neuromuscular dentist can tell if an incorrect bite is causing these problems. Our state-of-the-art application of neuromuscular techniques can help relieve such pain, and the results are often immediate, dramatic, and life-changing!. The bite can be a factor in many types of pain or functional problems because of the inter-relationship of the overall musculoskeletal system.

Since there is a relationship between the teeth, jaw joints, head and neck muscles, and head posture, a problem in any one of these areas may affect others. It is suspected that you suffer from this type of problem and treating your TMD first will be your best shot .

My opinion with this matter is that your TMJs should by symptom free before starting any irreversible changes to your bite, due to the fact that initiating orthodontic changes , regardless of Invisalign, in an unhealthy joint may actually make your symptoms worse.  

What does syptom free mean? In my practice, if a patients has reduced opening of their jaws, pain in their joints (sometimes expressed as headaches, ringing in the ears, etc), or locking of their jaw, then they have to go through an initial phase of treatment of palliative therapy to alleviate their symptoms.  This phase of treatment also serves as a diagnostic tool for us, letting us know if your symptoms are caused by your potential "bad bite" , or if we need to look into something further beyond your bite as MANY things may cause TMJ pain.