Can Invisalign Fix A Crooked Smile

In this day and age, having a beautiful smile is not an option, but a necessity. Pictures are the center focus of most people nowadays, and to take a pretty picture, your smile has to be perfect.

For that reason, more and more people are seeking various cosmetic dental procedures to give them their dream smile, including braces.

Various problems can affect a smile, but one of the most common problems that people always need fixing is having a crooked smile.

Braces can be the answer to that problem, but which type is best?

Can Invisalign fix a crooked smile?

Is it better to get a fixed type of braces? Find the answer when you read on.

What Is A Crooked Smile?

A crooked smile means that one side of your teeth shows more than the other side when you smile. It is commonly referred to as a lopsided smile and can be the reason why your smile is not as perfect as you like it. You can have a perfect set of teeth with the brightest and whitest color, but a crooked smile can still affect your appearance.

What Causes A Crooked Smile?

As we explained, a crooked smile happens when your smile line is uneven. This unevenness can be a result of:

1. Facial asymmetry:

   Facial asymmetry is just like it sounds: One half of the face is larger or smaller than the other side. Naturally, when you smile, your mouth will be pulled more towards the larger side, causing your smile to be uneven. There are many reasons for facial asymmetry, but most are related to genetics.

2. Muscle problems:

   The physical act of smiling engages more than 5 pairs of muscles of the face. If a problem – even as small as a muscle spasm – occurs in any of these muscles, the smile can be affected, and the end result is a crooked smile. Bear in mind that this spasm may be temporary, and so can be the crooked smile. So don’t go hastily seeking treatment when the condition can be resolved on its own in a few days.

3. Smoking:

   Smoking is one of the most damaging acts to your health. We all heard about the known effects of smoking such as lung cancer and heart problems, but did you know that smoking can affect your smile as well?
   We don’t just mean the staining of the teeth and damage to the periodontal ligament leading to teeth loss, but muscle affection as well. Smoking can be damaging to the muscles, including the muscles of smiling, resulting in a crooked smile.

4. Teeth Problems:

   This is where we can help. A crooked smile may be a result of crooked teeth. Crooked teeth mean teeth that are uneven, both in shape and in function. In this case, the answer to the question “Can Invisalign fix a crooked smile” is an absolute yes.

5. Stroke:

   If you or any of your relatives ever suffered a stroke, then you know how damaging it can be. A stroke decreases the blood flow to most areas of the body. If that reduced flow affected the muscles of the face, you can end up with a lopsided smile.

How Can Invisalign Fix A Crooked Smile?

To understand how Invisalign can help fix your smile, you must first understand how it works. Invisalign is a form of braces that don’t need to be attached to the teeth’ surface.

Unlike traditional braces that are fixed to the outer surface of the teeth, Invisalign has no brackets, no wires, and none of the needed twisting and turning elastics. It is a system of plastic, transparent, and invisible molds called aligners. You wear the aligners over the teeth, and they can pressurize the teeth and move them where you desire.

So back to the question at hand: Can Invisalign fix a crooked smile?

Yes, Invisalign can be the answer to your crooked smile. If the cause of the crooked smile is crooked teeth, then Invisalign can help arrange these crooked teeth and therefore fix the lopsided smile. When planning orthodontic treatment, one of the most important factors to consider is the smile line.

If the orthodontist determines that your muscles are OK and the problem lies in the crookedness of teeth, their main aim of treatment is to conform to that smile line. In the end, you will get teeth that are perfectly even with the curvature of the smile line.

Which Is Better For A Crooked Smile: Invisalign Or Traditional Braces?

Invisalign is just one type of braces. Other types include traditional metallic braces, clear braces, and of course lingual braces.

If the cause of the smile is crooked teeth, and your orthodontist determined that braces are your best option, then you should do some thinking about what type of braces you want. Can Invisalign fix a crooked smile? Yes, but is it the best option?

We can’t really say that one option is better than the other. Each type of braces has its own merits and drawbacks. Metal braces are fast, easy, reliable, and cheap, however, they can be quite uncomfortable and unsightly. Clear braces resolved the appearance issue but did nothing to the comfort.

The same goes for lingual braces – these are placed on the inner surface of the teeth, so are invisible – as they can irritate the tongue and palate. Invisalign took care of most problems of fixed braces. It looks amazing, is very comfortable, very accurate, and can be quicker in most cases. On the other hand, it can be a bit more expensive and is not suitable for every case.

What Can Invisalign Not Fix?

Invisalign is generally not suitable for jaw size mismatch cases. In these cases – where the problem lies at a bone level rather than the teeth level – it is better to use a combination of traditional braces and – if needed – surgery.

If you’re still in doubt, and still wondering “can Invisalign fix a crooked smile”, you can give us a call and discuss the matter further with Dr. Elaine John and her amazing JO team at John orthodontics.

You can reach us at 954-799-5419 or find us right around the corner at 4651 N. State Rd. 7, Unit 14 Coral Springs, FL 33073.