Correcting Your Bite with Clear Aligners

“Wait, I can correct my smile without braces?” While it may seem too good to be true, getting the smile you’ve always wanted is perfectly possible without traditional braces. The Candid Clear Aligner System is a unique orthodontic treatment option that’s completely clear, giving you an uncluttered smile while you get straight teeth. So, how exactly does this braces alternative work?

Invisalign Aligner Attachments for Bite Correction

The most common way to correct an overbite or underbite is by using braces with small rubber bands that run between your top and bottom teeth. An overbite is corrected by gently bring the lower jaw forward with bands attached toward the front of the top teeth and the back of the bottom teeth. The opposite configuration is used to fix an underbite since the lower jaw needs to be moved back.

This same method can now be used with clear aligners, thanks to attachments. Small hooks in the proper positions on the top and bottom aligners allow rubber bands to be attached, just like braces. To avoid having the aligners shift from the extra pressure, small buttons of tooth-colored epoxy can be applied to your teeth to secure the aligners in place.

Getting Your Aligners

When you go into your provider’s office for the first time, they will take a close look at your teeth and take x-rays so they know what’s going on above and below the gums, and if you have an overbite or underbite. They will also get digital images of your teeth using an iTero scanner, rather than doing impressions with messy putty.

Using the 3D image from the digital scan, a mold of your teeth will be printed. This mold will be used to create your clear plastic aligners and determine whether attachments will be needed to correct your bite. Each aligner is designed to fit slightly off, so your teeth start moving in the right direction as you wear them.

Orthodontic Checkups

With Candid clear aligners, your orthodontic treatment progresses as you use the CandidMonitoring system to submit scans of your teeth from home, which your orthodontist will review before sending a new set of trays.

It’s possible your teeth may not be quite ready for the next set of trays. If this is the case, you will be instructed to wear your trays a little longer before starting your next set of aligners. This is why it is important to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours per day. If you are also fixing your bite, you will need to switch out the small bands attached to your aligners each day as well. They become stretched as you open and close your mouth throughout the day and lose their effectiveness.

If you think you or your teen has a bite issue, but you don’t want to get braces, Candid aligners from The Smile Store is the perfect way to get the healthy smile you desire.