Postural Changes When Wearing Clear Aligners like Invisalign®

Clear teeth aligners and posture!?  Now there’s a pair. Not necessarily a pair you’d put together though! Eugene teeth aligners are standard nowadays. Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic meets many Eugene chiropractic patients who have chosen to use these new devices to straighten teeth. They are nearly invisible. They are flexible. The clear aligner wearer can take them out whenever he or she needs to take them out. Wearers acquire some control of the process. All is good, and yet the treatment planning like that of Invisalign® is newer technology. Everyone is learning more about it. Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic had not thought that orthodontic and Eugene chiropractic treatment plans might come in contact with each other. Surprise!

TOOTH ALIGNMENT TREATMENT AND PLANNING

Most Eugene chiropractic patients recall (too well for some!)  the classic fixed appliances (braces) used by orthodontists to straighten teeth. Many Eugene orthodontic patients lived with them! Research shows that in using Invisalign® technology, tooth type and movement are key elements to think about when the treatment plan is set. Invisalign® technology permits clinicians to predict tooth positions with high accuracy when done in nonextraction cases, but some of the real outcomes may vary from those predictions. Most differences were not clinically relevant though. (1) Malocclusion (a misalignment or faulty relationship of the teeth of the top and bottom teeth when they near each other when the jaws close) influences teeth straightening treatment planning. When comparing Invisalign aligners to conventional fixed appliances for mild to moderate malocclusion issues, they both corrected the condition. Invisalign® wearers completed their care faster (by 5.7 months!). Invisalign® improvement wasn’t as “great” in effectiveness as fixed appliances. (2) One study planned to determine relationships between body posture in the sagittal profile and sagittal jaw position. The mandible (lower jaw)  has a greater effect on body posture than other craniofacial parameters, so patients with severe malocclusions need to be given extra attention particularly if a jaw surgery is planned. (3) Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic is fine with having the Eugene orthodontists determine this!

TOOTH ALIGNMENT WITH INVISALIGN AND POSTURE

But Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic is fine when called upon to help with any posture issues that arise. A new study reports that clear, occlusal coverage aligners like Invisalign® may well affect body posture. The the upper and lower spine units are influenced. When clear aligner wearers were examined after 6 months of use, the Kyphosis Angle, the Upper Thoracic Inclination and Pelvic Inclination were changed.  It has been documented that these clear aligners adjust a wearer’s vertical height due to the occlusal coverage over the teeth and, subsequently, stimulate periodontal receptors hindering the jaw closing muscles and, likely, altering  mandibular posture. (4) Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic is as astonished as our Eugene chiropractic patients with everything that is possible with these clear aligners! Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic is aware of this potential and looks for it in Eugene chiropractic patients who wear these.

CONTACT Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic

Schedule a Eugene chiropractic visit at Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic to test your posture whether you are wearing Invisalign® or not! Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic deals with all kinds of pairs related to the spine and posture! Eugene chiropractic services cover all bases from the exam to the diagnosis to the treatment with spinal manipulation, diet, supplementation and exercise to the postural and rehabilitation tips to get your spine healthy and keep it that way.