Clear Aligners: Can They Fix an Overbite?

A smile always follows a hello that is friendly. A person smiles to show joy and make those around them feel welcomed. But if one has misaligned teeth, they may feel self-conscious about showing their smile. As a result, many teenagers, and adults suffer from malocclusion, including overbites, underbites, and crossbites. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the causes of overbite and how clear aligners work to fix an overbite.

What’s an Overbite?

An overbite happens when your upper teeth extend beyond your lower front teeth in a vertical overlap. Most of the time, it is addressed with clear aligner treatment.

People with severe overbites have an overjet. An overjet occurs when there is excess space between the lower front teeth and the upper front teeth. Luckily both can be treated by our best dentist in Liberty Hill with orthodontics at the same time.

The symptoms of an overbite include:

• Jaw pain
• Discomfort when eating
• Having difficulties in opening or closing your mouth fully
• Speech impediments
• Causes of Overbites

Overbites can happen to people of any age. Some of the causes include:

• Breathing with your mouth
• Nail-biting
• When you chew on objects
• Thumb sucking
• When your teeth are crowded
• Tongue thrusting
• Teeth grinding or bruxism
• Having irregularly shaped jaws due to genetics

Do I Need to Fix an Overbite?

Most people have moderate overbites, but some have greater overbites. But in both, you need orthodontic treatment. The main reason why people fix overbites is cosmetic. Overbites affect your appearance negatively and can make you self-conscious. Many people suffering from overbites don’t like smiling in photos or taking pictures.

Overbites can also lead to dental issues. Due to teeth misalignment, they can contact the wrong parts of the mouth. This can lead to gum damage, worn down enamel, tooth decay, and enamel erosion.

Other overbite risks include:

• Headaches
• You can develop sleep apnea
• Experience jaw pain which can lead to TMJ
• Popping and clicking when speaking and eating

How Do Clear Aligners Fix an Overbite?

Both in-office and at-home aligners work by measuring your mouth and teeth alignment.

The measurements are usually made through digital scans or putty. Once the measurement is done, your dentist makes a series of aligners to fit your teeth.

Our dentist in Prime Dental of Liberty Hill will instruct you to wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours every day. After that, they are taken out only for brushing, eating, flossing, and drinking. During that time, the aligners apply gentle pressure that realigns your teeth. The jawbone responds by shifting as your teeth move.

How Long Do Clear Aligners Take to Work?

The clear aligners for overbite take an average of 12 months to work. But there’re a few things one can do to shorten the time. First, ensure you follow your orthodontist’s instructions, and the result will make you smile with a beautiful and straight smile.

Are Clear Aligners the Best Way to Fix an Overbite?

Current data shows that clear aligners can work successfully when correcting mild to moderate overbites. However, the time needed to correct an overbite with these aligners varies from one person to another. Therefore, if your overbite is severe, the dentist might recommend you get traditional braces instead.

Clear Aligner Treatment Procedure

The procedure involves a series of removable plastic aligners that one wears in incremental sequence. Your orthodontist will create a customized treatment profile and plan which involves:

• Taking photographs of your mouth and teeth
• A 3D scan of your teeth
• Performing an exam of your x-ray and teeth
• They’ll then determine if you’re a candidate for clear aligners treatment
• Finally, they’ll write up a recommendation

If you qualify to be a candidate for the treatment, your dentist will use a computerized 3D model to plan for the aligners. This helps the dentist determine where your teeth will move to. Each misaligned tooth usually moves in stages.

Depending on your situation, you might require six upward of 48 aligners for an effective treatment. However, this varies from one individual to the next and can affect the period the aligner will take to work for you. Therefore, you should expect to change your aligners every one or two weeks.