Is the inability to chew using your back teeth with Invisalign attachments (to the backs of a patient's teeth) normal?

Question

I am on my third set of tray and today I had to VERY large wedge-shaped attachments put on the back side of my upper two front teeth, to fix an overbite. Without the trays in my bottom two teeth hit these attachments almost immediately upon closing my mouth therefor preventing my back teeth from closing together. This prevents me from being able to grind or chew my food. I called and the dental assistant says this is normal and I will get used to it. It's not painful, just impossible to chew.

Rob van den Berg, DDS, MS · Answer

Yes this is normal with this type of attachment. The goal is to allow extrusion of the back teeth, thus aiding deep bite correction. As the teeth align and adjust contact between the back teeth should return. How long this takes depends on various factors such as age, the use of additional attachments on the premolars, the use of elastics, individual biological parameters.it does take some getting used to initially, but can be quite effective for deep bite treatment.

Is the inability to chew using your back teeth with Invisalign attachments (to the backs of a patient's teeth) normal?

Answers (1)