Invisalign - facial profile in adults?

Question

I had a fall recently and now my bite is off - my jaw / bite feels like it is shifting to one side and I have TMJ. Ortho recommended invisalign but I already had extraction orthodontics which made my face long. People who have invisalign seem to look slightly different afterwards but I can't figure out what it is - does invisalign lengthen face or make it slightly wider?

John McDonald, DMD · Answer

In non growing patients, i.e. Adults, the only part of the face that changes are the lips, because the position of the lips is completely dependent on where the teeth are.  The lips rest on the teeth.  Most invisalign type treatment does not involve movements large enough to noticeably affect lip position.

If you are basing your "Invisalign patients seem to look slightly different" comment based on photos, I think you are reading to much into the photos.  First of all,  no two photos of the same person taken on different days look the same.  There are also multiple reasons that before and after photos can look really different that have nothing to do with how the teeth affected the face.  For example, people seeking orthodontic treatment don't usually display a big huge smile when we take their starting photos.  They don't like their smile and no matter how we beg and plead, they don't want to give us a full smile that shows all of those imperfections that they hate!   At the end of any orthodontic treatment, there is no holding back! They love their teeth, they love being able to smile with out thinking about their teeth looking bad.  They often have a new hair style, or new glasses because they feel better about themselves because of the changes taking place in their smile.  They are also usually really happy and that comes thru in the photos.  (All of these thing make being an orthodontist the best job in the world)

Another interesting thing is that if they wore invisalign, they have probably lost weight and that shows in their photos.  Because it is kind of a hassle to remove the aligners before eating and then clean your teeth before replacing the aligners, people tend to snack much less.  I have had numerous patients tell me that they were already thinking about losing weight and wearing invisalign just makes it easier to avoid temptation between meals.

Regarding your Joint pain:  I would not recommend starting any orthodontic treatment until your joint symptoms are not painful.  See your dentist and follow his or her recommendations or referral to resolve your pain.

Nirav Patel, MDS, PhD · Answer

no, its not like that. infect its difficult to extrude teeth with invisalign.

but yes, during treatment its possible , u feel - long face. just because of invisalign trays on last tooth dis-occlude front teeth  [ 2 mm spacing in anterior teeth] looks like long face.

Invisalign - facial profile in adults?

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Invisalign - facial profile in adults?

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Everything you need to know about Invisalign

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.