Invisalign Lite for Orthodontics in Your 40s: Correction of Crowding, Molar Bite, and Side Effects

Hello,

I’ll introduce orthodontic treatment in your 40s.

Unlike wire braces, where appliances are attached only to the outer surfaces of the teeth, Invisalign is designed to cover the chewing surfaces. Because of this, some things are unavoidable, and this is an effect seen during treatment in most Invisalign patients.

According to research papers, regardless of whether it is Invisalign Lite or Comprehensive, an average of 0.9 mm of posterior intrusion inevitably occurs during treatment.

If you usually clench your teeth tightly or have strong biting force, the amount can be even greater.

The solution is simple, and I’ll talk about that today.

This is a 40-something patient who underwent Invisalign orthodontic treatment to align the front teeth.

The molar bite is fairly good.

The upper teeth are laminated, so they look straight,

but the lower teeth are crooked.

If you stare at this alignment for a long time, it looks like a hand with only the middle finger sticking out.

Since correction was possible with Invisalign Lite, I recommended Invisalign Lite.

We placed the appliance order.

24.06

The first appliance was worn starting in March 2024, and all 14 sets were completed by June 2024.

The teeth were aligned, but the midline still did not match.

Additional appliances were started to improve the midline, and the patient began wearing the extra appliances in July 2024.

After wearing one more set of additional appliances for two months, treatment was finally completed in September 2024.

The midline is well aligned.

The six upper front tooth laminates were old, and the patient wanted them remade, but due to scheduling issues, this was done at another clinic.

Looking at the bite at the end of treatment, you can see that the very back molar bite is open.

This was actually the part the patient personally felt was not contacting well.

We explained that this was an unavoidable part of the Invisalign treatment process, and by cutting the final appliance so that only the front-tooth portion remained, the patient wore it for several weeks to encourage natural bite stabilization.

Typically, this bite stabilization period varies from person to person, but for patients with strong biting force, if they wait about two weeks, the molars that had been intruded by the thickness of the appliance due to chewing on the Invisalign tray return to their original position.

If biting force is weak, we sometimes observe for about a month.

24.09~24.10

24.09~24.10

These are before-and-after photos from about two weeks of inducing bite stabilization.

The previously open area of the large molars now contacts properly again.

A solid bite was created to the point that the articulating paper could not be pulled out.

Depending on the case, elastic bands are sometimes used to encourage bite stabilization, but for this patient, simply cutting the appliance and wearing it was enough.

In the meantime, the six front teeth were also restored with laminates at another clinic.

24.10

Now it is time to make a removable retainer.

A Vivera is currently being made.

Let’s look at the before-and-after comparison.

24.02~24.10

24.02~24.10

24.02~24.10

The improvement in the lower teeth alignment is dramatic.

24.02~24.10

The total time from start to finish was 8 months, and excluding the time spent waiting for appliance fabrication, the actual treatment period was about 6 months.

24.02~24.10

Is the rumor that molars lift during Invisalign orthodontic treatment? It’s a fact.

However, it is only a temporary phenomenon during the process, and the final bite can be made as good as needed.

Thank you for reading this long post.