Oftentimes, adult patients will come to our office and inform us that they’re satisfied by their upper teeth but bothered by their lower teeth. For whatever reason, their lower teeth aren’t as straight as they’d like them to be. These patients ask us whether they can get Invisalign for just their lower teeth. Keep reading to find out.
Single Arch Invisalign Treatment
Normally, Invisalign involves wearing a pair of aligners on your bottom and top teeth. Single arch treatment, however, is when you wear Invisalign only on your top or bottom teeth. Even though we offer single arch Invisalign at RV Orthodontics, it’s not an option for everyone. Our team will need to evaluate your teeth, gums, and bites to determine if you’re eligible for this treatment.
Who Can Get Single Arch Invisalign Treatment?
We may approve you for single arch Invisalign treatment if you only have a few crooked teeth and the primary goal is to improve the appearance of your smile. If you have an overbite, underbite, or crossbite, for example, you’d be better off with traditional Invisalign and both arches. In most cases, we suggest single arch Invisalign treatment to patients with spacing or gaps, a misaligned tooth, or slightly crooked bottom or top teeth. If you don’t have enough room in the front part of your bottom teeth, the aligners won’t fit well and throw off your bite, making you ineligible for this treatment.
Risks of Single Arch Invisalign Treatment
While single arch Invisalign treatment may seem like the obvious solution if your bottom teeth are crooked and your top teeth still look good, there is a risk you should consider. The biting relationship or occlusion between your top and bottom teeth is precise. If you undergo single arch treatment, you may adjust your bite and experience toothache and other issues. This is why it’s very important to only go the single arch route if you have sufficient room in the front part of your bottom teeth and monitor your bite very closely throughout your entire treatment.
Benefits of Single Arch Invisalign Treatment
The benefits of single arch Invisalign treatment are the same as those of dual arch treatment. You don’t have to worry about any pain and discomfort caused by metal brackets. You can also remove your aligners every time you eat, drink, brush, and floss your teeth.
As long as you keep them in your mouth for at least 22 hour per day, they will gradually move your bottom teeth into their proper positions. Compared to traditional metal braces, Invisalign is more discreet, meaning you can straighten your teeth without drawing a lot of attention to yourself. You’ll find Invisalign to be comfortable, discreet, and most importantly, effective.
When it comes to treatment time, it will depend on your unique situation. Typically, single arch treatment doesn’t take as long. There’s a good chance you can achieve straight bottom teeth and a healthy smile in under a year.
Contact RVOrthodontics
If you have further questions about Invisalign single arch treatment, don’t hesitate to contact our office today at 804-884-9906. We look forward to hearing from you!
