Overbite, even in less severe cases, can impact your life significantly. Besides aesthetic concerns, an overbite can lead to long-term dental health problems. Correcting overbite issues prevents future discomfort for your mouth and your wallet, but clunky orthodontics can be such a hassle.
Understandably, many patients are curious about discreet and convenient clear aligners overbite treatment. Does clear aligners fix overbite problems? Let’s discuss the basics.
Overbite and oral health: It’s about more than looks
An overbite is a misalignment of the upper and lower teeth. In someone with a normal bite, the upper incisors cover about ⅓ to ½ of the lower incisors. With an overbite, your teeth are in contact with each other much more than they would be otherwise. As the upper and lower teeth uncomfortably clash in the mouth, people who suffer from an overbite are prone to jaw, teeth, and gum issues. This dental problem can be created by too much sucking on a thumb or pacifier as a child, or it could be caused by genetic jaw issues or missing teeth.
Many cases of overbite cause the lower jaw to look sunken into the face while the upper jaw protrudes out. For many people, this is undesirable aesthetically, and it’s a major reason they seek treatment. However, not all cases of overbite are visible on the face and there are several medical reasons to address overbite as well. An overbite can cause a slew of dental problems, from cavities to serious jaw pain.
Clear Aligners basics: Orthodontics evolved
Clear aligners is an orthodontic treatment that uses a series of clear, removable trays to straighten teeth. They look like the kind of trays you might buy for an at-home whitening treatment, but they’re much more comfortable since they’re custom-made for your mouth based on 3D imaging.
Your clear aligners-trained dentist or orthodontist will work with you to map out a complete treatment plan. Based on this plan, a series of custom-made aligners are crafted. Each aligner is worn for about one to two weeks before progressing to the next one in the series. The aligners apply gentle, consistent pressure to the teeth, gradually moving them into the desired position.
Unlike traditional metal braces, clear aligners are nearly invisible while being worn, making them a popular choice for patients seeking a more discreet way to improve their smile.
Is correcting an overbite necessary?
If you have an overbite, your teeth are hitting against each other much more often than they should. This excessive wear and tear causes speedier tooth erosion over time. You’re also more likely to develop cavities, gum disease and sensitive gums.
Overbite left untreated can also cause long-term serious jaw pain and stiffness ,and even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Tenderness in your jaw and surrounding muscles and ligaments can snowball into everyday pain that could require medication, physical therapy, mouth guards or even surgery.
An overbite can even cause other problems you might not have thought about, such as headaches, earaches, breathing issues, sleep apnoea, and even speech challenges. Children affected by overbite can be missing out on important speech development. Overbite is best treated as soon as possible, and it’s not a problem to be taken lightly, no matter what age you are. Investing in a healthier smile now can save you from dental misery later.
What are my options to treat overbite?
Unfortunately, overbite can not just go away on its own, and any “natural” methods of addressing the problem will only damage your teeth and overall dental health more. Children’s bones are softer, and their teeth move more easily so dentists and orthodontists have a lot of success treating overbite in kids before it becomes a larger problem in adulthood.
Tooth extraction
Sometimes, an important part of treating overbite is freeing up room in an overcrowded mouth. It makes it easier for the other teeth to fall into better placement during treatment for severe cases of overbite. Children might get their remaining baby teeth removed to make room for adult teeth.
Braces and other orthodontics
Getting all of your teeth into line and applying pressure through good old fashioned orthodontics like metal braces and palate expanders are a proven way to fix most overbite problems. Clear aligners, as a comparable treatment to braces, works in a similar way to correct tooth alignment.
Corrective surgery
Aligning the teeth is enough treatment to fix many cases of overbite, but sometimes an underlying jaw issue needs to be addressed. Children are still growing, and their overbite should only be treated with orthodontics, but adults with severe overbites might require surgery that fixes the position of the jaw bones.
Can Clear Aligners fix overbite problems that are ‘severe’?
A significant overbite, also known as a deep bite, can be fixed with the clear aligners process in teens and adults.
The clear aligners overbite treatment process
The clear aligners process is similar to getting any other orthodontic treatment, just with less discomfort and visibility. Your plan will be overseen by a professional, and you’ll get the same level of personal care and monitoring as you would when getting a traditional set of braces. Your clear aligners overbite before and after results will be just the same as other orthodontic methods, but no one has to notice! Here’s what it’s like to get clear aligners for overbite:
1. Consultation and Custom Plan:
Your journey starts with a visit to a clear aligners-trained dentist or orthodontist. During this visit, they’ll take digital scans or impressions of your teeth. Using these images, they’ll create a 3D model of your mouth and design a personalized treatment plan that shows the step-by-step movement of your teeth.
2. Custom Clear Aligners:
Based on your custom plan, a series of clear, removable aligners are made just for you. These aligners are smooth, comfortable, and virtually invisible, so you can wear them without anyone noticing.
3. Wearing Your Aligners:
You’ll wear each set of aligners for about one to two weeks, for 20 to 22 hours a day, removing them only to eat, drink (anything other than water), brush, and floss. As you progress through each set, your teeth will gradually shift into their new positions.
Does clear aligners fix overbite issues less painfully than braces?
Overbite issues can take up to two years to fix with traditional orthodontics, and braces and other devices can be very painful and uncomfortable. Clear aligners overbite treatment still relies on shifting the position of your teeth, which will always cause some tenderness and tightness. However, clear aligners patients usually report that their discomfort subsides after a few days. Clear aligners are designed to produce more nuanced, gradual tooth movement for less dramatic pain.
The sharp, harsh metal of braces causes tender sores in the mouth and food gets easily stuck in braces while you’re eating. With braces, the inside of your mouth experiences a significant amount of irritation. Each time the wire is tightened in braces, it is also going to be more painful compared to the slower pressure of custom-made clear aligners.
Overbite clear aligners treatment is much more comfortable, and thankfully removable at mealtimes and for brushing your teeth. Your teeth will still get the gentle pressure they need to realign, but with much more room to breathe.
Clear aligners before and after overbite treatment results
If you’re still asking “Can clear aligners fix overbite issues?” take a look at the handiwork yourself. We know it’s hard to believe that such an easy-seeming solution could produce real results, but the proof is in the pudding. These photos show one patient’s clear aligners overbite before and after transformation:
How long does it take to correct an overbite with clear aligners?
The length of time it takes to correct an overbite depends on how severe the overbite is. Does clear aligners fix overbite problems faster than other types of orthodontics? Not necessarily, but it doesn’t add any time.
Clear aligners take between 12 to 24 months, which is the same range of time braces usually take to fix an overbite. However, this is dependent on how your teeth are structured and other factors that are personal to your custom care plan.
How do clear aligners fix overbite for kids and teens?
Overbite usually appears earlier in life, and is a prime concern for many parents. Sometimes overbite is caused by genetics, such as the natural shape of your jaw. Other times, it’s caused or worsened by behaviors like nail biting, teeth grinding, thrusting the tongue too far forward, or pacifier use or thumb-sucking after the age of 3. In all cases, but especially when a child’s speaking ability or dental health is hindered by an overbite, it’s important to treat early.
Luckily, clear aligners have been proven to be a great option for children as young as six. Using removable, more comfortable orthodontic devices makes for an easier path to those beautiful clear aligners before and after overbite results. Kids feel less pain with the gentler process, and the fact that they can take the clear aligners out for eating and brushing their teeth means easier dental hygiene and fewer cavities. They also won’t be limited in what they can eat, so they won’t feel left out at s’mores time on the camping trip or while munching on popcorn at the movies.
Clear aligners overbite treatment for teens can also include mandibular advancement. With precision wings on clear aligners trays, we can shift the lower jaw and improve not only the overbite, but the appearance of the chin. It’s medically necessary, but will also give a great boost of confidence to teens who are self-conscious about their jawline.
Clear aligners for overbite in teens and kids also means fewer trips to the orthodontist’s chair and less worrying about getting teased for clunky braces.
Are clear aligners more expensive than braces?
All orthodontic plans are going to be highly personalized, and many factors will determine how expensive your individual treatment will cost. Correcting an overbite, especially a severe one, will add length and therefore cost to your orthodontic treatment. However, clear aligners are comparable to the cost of most braces.
According to data from Procter & Gamble, the average clear aligners treatment in the United States costs between $4,000-$7,400. This is within a similar price range as metal and ceramic braces. Lingual braces, which are placed behind the teeth for a discreet look, typically cost between $8,000-$10,000. Clear aligners achieve a similarly invisible – and certainly more comfortable – experience for much less.
Will clear aligners work for me?
Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. Feeling insecure about your teeth can be excruciating, especially when you’re suffering from an issue that’s not your fault, like an overbite. But are braces so much better?
Clear aligners are perfect for people of all ages who want to feel comfortable during their orthodontic treatment. Clear aligners state-of-the-art tech allows you to address your dental health needs without letting them take over your mouth – or life.
Smiley Dental is happy to discuss clear aligner options with you today! Contact us and get one step closer to a sunnier smile.
