Summary: Invisalign is primarily designed to straighten teeth and improve the bite, but changes to tooth position can sometimes create subtle differences in the appearance of your smile, lips and facial profile. Invisalign does not usually change the underlying jawbone or dramatically reshape the face in adults. At Macquarie Dentists, we assess your teeth, bite and facial proportions when planning Invisalign treatment.
If you’re considering Invisalign, you may be wondering whether straightening your teeth could also change the shape of your face or make your jawline look different.
The short answer is that Invisalign can sometimes create subtle changes to the appearance of your smile, lips and facial profile, but it does not dramatically reshape the jaw or facial bones in adults.
The changes you notice are generally the result of repositioning the teeth and improving how the upper and lower teeth fit together.
How Can Invisalign Affect Your Appearance?
Your teeth play an important role in supporting your lips and shaping the appearance of your smile.
If teeth are crowded, protruding, rotated or positioned too far forwards or backwards, they can influence the appearance of the lower part of the face.
By moving the teeth into a more suitable position, Invisalign may subtly affect:
- The appearance and width of your smile
- How much tooth shows when you smile
- The position and support of your lips
- The appearance of your side profile
- How your upper and lower teeth meet
These changes are usually subtle and will vary significantly from person to person.
Can Invisalign Change Your Face Shape?
Invisalign does not usually change the fundamental shape of your face.
Your facial structure is largely determined by your underlying bones, genetics and soft tissues. In adults, orthodontic treatment primarily moves the teeth within the jaw rather than changing the size or shape of the jawbones themselves.
However, because your teeth support your lips and contribute to the appearance of the lower face, changing their position may create a noticeable difference in some people.
For example, someone with significantly protruding front teeth may notice that their lips sit differently once those teeth have been moved into a more suitable position.
Similarly, correcting crowded or rotated teeth may create a broader and more balanced-looking smile.
Can Invisalign Change Your Jawline?
In adults, Invisalign generally does not change the actual size or shape of the jawbone.
However, improving the position of the teeth and the way the bite comes together can sometimes make the lower face appear slightly more balanced.
For example, if your front teeth previously protruded significantly, moving them into a more appropriate position may influence the appearance of your lips and side profile.
This does not mean Invisalign is a treatment for creating a sharper or more defined jawline. Any visible change to the jawline is usually secondary to changes in tooth position and bite.
Can Invisalign Change Your Side Profile?
For some patients, yes.
The position of your front teeth can influence how the lips sit when viewed from the side.
If the upper or lower front teeth protrude forwards, orthodontic treatment may move them backwards where appropriate. This can sometimes change the amount of lip support and create a more balanced-looking profile.
In other cases, teeth may need to be moved forwards or repositioned differently.
The effect depends on your starting tooth position, bite, jaw relationship and facial proportions.
Can Invisalign Fix an Overbite and Change Your Profile?
Invisalign can be used to treat certain types of overbites.
An overbite refers to the amount that the upper front teeth vertically overlap the lower front teeth. Some patients may also have upper teeth that sit significantly further forward than the lower teeth, which can affect the appearance of the smile and facial profile.
If the bite problem is primarily caused by the position of the teeth, Invisalign may be able to move the teeth into a more suitable position and improve the way the bite comes together.
This may also create subtle changes to the appearance of the smile or side profile.
However, some bite problems are related to the underlying size or position of the jawbones. In adults, Invisalign cannot significantly change the underlying skeletal structure of the jaws.
Your dentist will therefore assess whether your bite concern is primarily related to your teeth, your jaw structure or a combination of both.
Can Invisalign Make Your Smile Look Wider?
In some cases, Invisalign treatment can create the appearance of a broader or fuller smile.
Crowded teeth may be carefully repositioned and the dental arch may sometimes be expanded within appropriate biological limits.
This can allow more teeth to be visible when you smile.
However, there are limits to how far teeth can safely be moved, and significant expansion is not appropriate for every patient.
Will Your Lips Look Different After Invisalign?
They can.
Your front teeth provide support for your lips, so moving these teeth may subtly change the way the lips sit.
This tends to be more noticeable when the front teeth are significantly protruded or positioned further backwards before treatment.
For most patients, any change to the lips is relatively subtle rather than dramatic.
What Determines How Much Your Appearance Changes?
The amount of visible change after Invisalign varies considerably between patients.
Factors that may influence the final appearance include:
- The amount of crowding
- The position of the front teeth
- Whether the teeth protrude forwards
- Your existing bite
- The relationship between the upper and lower jaws
- Your facial proportions and lip position
- Whether teeth need to move forwards or backwards
- Whether expansion is required
This is why Invisalign treatment should be individually planned rather than simply focusing on straightening the visible front teeth.
Invisalign Is About More Than Straight Teeth
A well-planned Invisalign treatment considers more than whether the teeth look straight.
Your dentist also needs to consider how your upper and lower teeth fit together, the position of the front teeth, your bite and how the final smile fits with your facial proportions.
At Macquarie Dentists, we use digital scanning and treatment planning to assess your teeth and bite before recommending Invisalign treatment.
The aim is to create a smile that looks natural while also considering how the teeth function together.
Frequently Asked Questions About Invisalign and Face Shape
Does Invisalign permanently change your face?
Invisalign may create subtle changes to the appearance of your smile, lips and lower facial profile by repositioning the teeth. In adults, it does not usually significantly change the underlying facial bones.
Can Invisalign make your jawline sharper?
Invisalign is not designed to create a sharper jawline. Improvements to the bite and tooth position may make the lower face appear more balanced in some patients.
Can Invisalign make your lips look smaller?
If significantly protruding front teeth are moved backwards, the lips may appear slightly less prominent in some patients. The amount of change varies depending on the individual.
Can Invisalign make your face slimmer?
Invisalign is not a treatment for slimming the face. Any changes to facial appearance are generally subtle and related to the position of the teeth and bite.
Can Invisalign fix an uneven jaw?
Invisalign may help correct certain dental bite problems. However, significant facial or jaw asymmetry caused by the underlying bones may require further assessment and cannot necessarily be corrected with Invisalign alone.
Considering Invisalign in Macquarie Park?
If you are considering Invisalign and want to understand how treatment may affect your smile, bite or facial profile, an individual assessment is the best place to start.
At Macquarie Dentists in Macquarie Park, we can assess your teeth and bite, discuss the changes you would like to achieve and explain what may realistically be possible with Invisalign.
Book your Invisalign consultation with our Macquarie Park team today or call us on (02) 9887 2122 to learn more.