What Teeth Alignment Problems Can Invisalign Treat?

The days of requiring metal in your mouth to get a straight smile are long gone. Today, Invisalign uses clear, nearly invisible plastic aligners to fix many of the most common orthodontic problems. 

But is it right for you? 

Because Thomas D. Sokoly, DDS, and our team have been offering Invisalign for years, we can help you determine if this type of orthodontic treatment is a good fit for your mouth. Visit our Sokoly Dental office in Washington, DC, so we can evaluate your teeth and see if Invisalign can do what you need. 

Common uses for Invisalign

The two most common treatment categories for Invisalign include: 

Teeth spacing and alignment issues

Invisalign provides generally straighter teeth. It can also address specific spacing problems, like large gaps between teeth or teeth that are misaligned because they’re too crowded together. 

Additionally, Invisalign can treat midline discrepancy, which means the line between your two front teeth doesn’t align with the middle of your face. Moving your teeth with this treatment enhances symmetry in your face, which can help improve your overall appearance.

Bite alignment issues

Invisalign doesn’t just treat teeth alignment problems. Dr. Sokoly and our team also use it to address problems with your bite — the way your teeth and jaw fit together when your jaw is closed. Specifically, we frequently use these clear aligners to correct the following:

• Overbite, which means your top teeth overlap too far over your bottom teeth
• Underbite, which means your bottom teeth stick out in front of your upper teeth
• Crossbite, a horizontal alignment issue with your upper teeth behind your lower teeth
• Open bite, which means your teeth don’t touch when your mouth is closed
• Deep bite, where your upper teeth cover too much of your lower teeth

When you’re at our office, Dr. Sokoly evaluates your bite to see if it needs any care. Fixing your bite can make it easier to chew and talk and prevent headaches and jaw problems. It also helps your teeth wear evenly to lower your risk of dental problems. 

Finding out if Invisalign is right for you 

If these problems sound familiar, you’re probably a candidate for Invisalign. That said, Dr. Sokoly can help you find out for sure. 

If you’re a good candidate, we take an impression of your teeth that we use to create your clear plastic aligners. You wear the first set in your series for the prescribed time (usually, one or two weeks), then switch to the next pair of aligners. Throughout treatment, it’s important that you wear your aligners for at least 20 hours a day. 

To get a better feel for how Invisalign can correct tooth alignment issues, check out our before-and-after gallery. 

If you want to find out if Invisalign could help with your bite or teeth alignment issues, call our Washington, DC, office or book your appointment online today.