How Invisalign Can Improve Your Facial Profile

When you consider orthodontic treatment, the first thing that may likely come to the forefront of your mind is the straight beautiful smile you are hoping to attain. Although it is an essential aspect, orthodontic treatment as a whole offers more benefits beyond just straight teeth. This leads many potential patients to ask a very important question: does Invisalign change your face? For many the answer is yes, and the result can be incredible.

At Thyme Dental, we take a holistic approach to orthodontic care. We realize your dental structural base is your face, and when correcting misalignments, you may make extensive improvements in your overall face profile and balance.

The Connection Between Your Teeth and Facial Structure

Imagine your teeth and jawbones as the underlying framework for your lips, cheeks, and chin. If something is wrong with the framework, it can affect the look of your whole facial profile. For example, protruding teeth can bring the lips forward, and misaligned bite can make the chin look either set back or protruded. However, improving these base problems with Invisalign can bring about small, but significant changes that make the face more balanced, symmetrical, and aesthetically pleasing.

Improvement in Protruding Jaw and Teeth (Overjet)

An overjet occurs when your top front teeth extend far beyond your lower teeth. Overjet is also called “buck teeth.” An overjet can associate with some negative aspects of your face. For example:

• It may make the upper lip “pushed out” or “stretching.”
• It may make the chin look weak or recessed.
• It makes for an unbalanced convex profile from the side.

How Invisalign Helps:

Invisalign aligners are specifically made to provide the precise, mild forces required to gradually shift protruding teeth into their proper position. In some cases, treatment may involve the placement of small, tooth-coloured attachments or elastics to help guide the jaw. As the teeth are retracted, the entire profile softens. The upper lip can relax into a more natural position, the chin looks more in balance and defined with the other parts of the face.

Improvement for Incompetent Lips

“Incompetent lips” is a clinical term for a condition where the lips do not meet comfortably in a resting, relaxed position. This is often a direct result of protruding front teeth, which physically prevent the lips from closing naturally. A person with incompetent lips often has to strain their facial muscles (especially in the chin) to force their lips together, which can create a tense or strained appearance.

How Invisalign Helps:

This is a classic example of how fixing the underlying dental issue resolves the cosmetic concern.By straightening the protrusion and aligning the teeth, Invisalign removes the barrier that previously separated the lips. As the teeth move into their proper place, the lips can finally meet naturally without any effort or muscle strain. This results in:

• A relaxed and natural lip posture.
• A softer, more appealing appearance around the mouth and chin.
• Elimination of the dimpled, strained appearance of the chin muscle.

Your Path to a Harmonious Profile at Thyme Dental

All of this change requires calculated and expert planning. When you attend a consultation with us at Thyme Dental, we use technology that allows us to create a detailed digital 3D model of your teeth, which means that we are able to plan every detail of your individual pathway with Invisalign, and importantly, project the outcome. We can even show you a simulation of not only how your teeth will move, but also how these changes will affect your overall facial profile.

Using Invisalign to affect the shape of your face shows how modern orthodontics takes into consideration the entire harmony of the face and not just individual teeth. If you have been considering orthodontic treatment and want to know more about how you can complete your smile and also add to your facial aesthetics, please get in touch.

Schedule a consultation with our experienced dental team at Thyme Dental today, and let’s explore the possibilities for your smile.