Can Invisalign widen arches or do I need a palatal expander?

[meli]

Hi guys!

So I'm trying to get Invisalign and I've seen two different orthodontists at different practices, both qualified etc.

1st orthodontist says: Invisalign will work well for me, 100%
2nd orthodontist says: Invisalign definitely will NOT work without a removable palatal expander for 6 months beforehand

I'm completely confused. I prefered the 1st orthodontist I saw but I'm scared of getting Invisalign if they don't work!!

These are my teeth atm (Feel so bad posting them lol I always try to hide them but I'm sure you guys understand) http://imgur.com/a/rYh8p

Not sure what to do I thought about getting a 3rd opinion but I can't find any other orthodontists near me who do Invisalign (I already am travelling up to 2 hours to get to the places I mentioned!)

[Beemur]

I think if you wanted a perfect bite you would have to get a palate expander, Invisalign isn't good at moving molars.

Personally for me, all I wanted was to have a nice straight smile where my smile wasn't so narrow. I have a narrow upper jaw, my orthodontist told me I would need surgery if I wanted the best possible outcome (Class I bite, currently have class III malocclusion and anterior cross bite) I also have bad crowding upper and lower. He is widening my smile by moving out all my teeth up the top except for my molars, so my molars will remain where they are but I'll show more teeth when I smile because he is moving out all my premolars, so he is really only widening the front of my arch area because my molars won't really move. But my cross bite will be gone and I will end up with straight teeth so I'm happy to not get the Class I bite So far, my premolars have started to move out a little (I'm on my 5th set of aligners, have 35 all up) and I'm very happy with where they're supposed to end up according to my ClinCheck. My ortho specializes in Invisalign and took quite a while to work out the best out come without surgery so I'm not sure if that means I was a difficult case or not haha. But yeah, it can widen to a point, but for perfection in the bite you would probably need the expander

[meli]

Thank you that's very helpful!!

I just want straight teeth and a wider smile too, maybe my teeth would look okay with just the premolars being moved.

I do also have the option of fixed clear braces like Damon or Clarity...

Another thing I forgot to mention is I'm 22 years old and I've been told by the other orthodontist that a palatal expander won't work on me because I'm too old!

[Beemur]

You're welcome!

I think that braces like damon braces or something would probably give you a faster result, my ortho said that my teeth will straighten out as quickly as they would have with fixed braces but my widening will take about 2 months longer with invisalign than with fixed braces. I guess the good thing about my contract I signed is that if my invisalign doesn't do everything it is supposed to, they give me fixed braces to fix anything up at no cost. But my orthodontist is very confident that Invisalign plus some refinements will be more than enough to get the result I want
Also with the palate expander, yeah my orthodontist was really clear that if I wanted to go the palatal expander route, that because I'm 24 and the two bones up in my palate are fused together now because I'm an adult, the palatal expander will mostly only tip my teeth outwards, so it would widen my smile for sure, but wouldn't move my upper jaw bone like how it would in younger people.

I think you'll probably get really good results with either fixed braces or invisalign, I mean I love my Invisalign and love being able to floss easy and take them out to eat and even though I have 18 attachments on my teeth, the amount of visibility definitely doesn't bother me at all, my mother didn't notice for almost a week . In the first week I had to file a couple of sharp edges off of my first tray, but I'm up to my seventh tray now and haven't had any problems with any sore bits at all since that first week. I have pain for the first 2-3 days of a new tray and then I honestly forget they're there. I think there's definitely a huge misconception that Invisalign can't do as much to help teeth but if you go to an orthodontist who is experienced with it, they can do so much.
But that being said, I would have definitely been 100% fine getting fixed braces as well, I only opted for Invisalign because my orthodontist specializes in it and from all the other orthodontists I went to, the price difference with fixed and invisalign was only $400 so I figured why not haha.
Definitely let us know what you end up going with!

[DrJasonKTam]

The ability to move the teeth is going to depend on the experience of the doctor. I will tell you that we dentally expand arches all the time without expanders in adults using Invisalign. In adults, the movement is going to be dental, not skeletal, so there is no reason why a fixed expander should be required if the doctor is able to plan the movements out properly using Invisalign.

[CeramicCynthia]

we dentally expand arches all the time without expanders in adults using Invisalign. In adults, the movement is going to be dental, not skeletal

What does this mean in terms of the outcome? Is there any compromise in terms of aesthetics? I have a crossbite on my top left so it seems I'll need some sort of expansion, I'm 31. I had previously decided on ceramic braces but am considering Invisalign too.

[DrJasonKTam]

we dentally expand arches all the time without expanders in adults using Invisalign. In adults, the movement is going to be dental, not skeletal

What does this mean in terms of the outcome? Is there any compromise in terms of aesthetics? I have a crossbite on my top left so it seems I'll need some sort of expansion, I'm 31. I had previously decided on ceramic braces but am considering Invisalign too.

Each person and their situation is different, which is where the diagnosis and treatment plan of the doctor come in. It could be mean a compromise in aesthetics and function or it could improve one or the other or both. There has to be a consideration of the support of the bone/gums, lip position, size of the jaws, etc to create an individualized plan.

[zhenleeinSG]

As far as I know, as an adult you are not able to expand the palate once you stop growing. And based on that, there is no way to use a palatal expander. But with Invisalign, you are able to expand the arch. Why not try completing the invisalign treatment and then evaluate the results.

However, the best thing to do is still ask the professional orthodontist by searching invisalign orthodontist near me on Google, best if you ask the recommendations of your colleagues and friends. Word of mouth is a good thing to trust. Anyway, if you are located in the beautiful country of Singapore this directory list of orthodontist may also help you - http://www.invisalign.com.sg

[invizzlerizzle]

Mine is. My premolars are flared in so it gives the impression my arch isn't wide. I explained my concern and once the consult was over with he concluded that invisalign, combined with his experience, he can fix it.