Are You a Case for Aligners?

Aligners are a modern orthodontic technique to move your teeth to bring them into alignment. They have many advantages over traditional metal and ceramic braces. They are transparent, removable, easy to wear and remove, and have no food restrictions all throughout the treatment.

Are You a Case for Aligners?

While most cases can be treated by aligners, they, however, have some limitations. A few cases cannot be treated with aligners due to the complexity of the structure and position of the teeth and jaws.

Let’s look at cases that are difficult to treat with aligners.

• Severe Spacing: Cases where the spacing is more than 5-6mm per arch are not indicated for treatment with aligners.

• Skeletal Malocclusions : In cases of malocclusion that is caused by a skeletal discrepancy between the two jaws, it is difficult to treat with aligners. In some instances, these cases need surgery along with my-functional appliances and braces. In few others, these cases can be treated with only my-functional appliances and braces.

• Severe Rotations: In cases where teeth like the premolars are severely rotated, aligners are not the choice of treatment. These cases almost always require treatment with conventional braces and long retention phases to prevent the de-rotation of these teeth.

• Severe Angulations: In cases where one or more teeth are severely angulated, it becomes difficult to place and remove the aligners easily. So, in these cases, conventional braces are the treatment of choice.

• Highly Placed Teeth: In cases where any of the teeth (usually canines) are very highly placed, it is difficult to bring down those teeth in line with other teeth, using aligners. Braces are more suitable in such cases.

Apart from these mentioned specific types of malocclusions, it is important to note that aligners cannot move bridges and implants just like conventional braces. If your dentist recommends aligner treatment for you, be assured you are a candidate for it and do not have any of the above-mentioned conditions. If you are one of the lucky few, opt for aligners!

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