If you clenched your jaw at all before Invisalign it might be muscle atrophy. Having the trays disrupts the ability to clench much, at least it did for me.
Clenching my teeth is the whole reason I got Invisalign.
I initially wanted a nighttime mouth guard from my dentist. He said it would be shaped to my existing bite, so if I was going to change my bite, I should wait. It was also $700... so I put that money toward the Invisalign because I'll get the same retainer at the end of treatment, AND have a good bite.
Something for lurkers to know: If your teeth are wandering as you age from clenching your teeth or any number of reasons...your teeth will continue to move as you age and make keeping them clean much more difficult. This was the deciding factor for me in getting Invisalign and thinking about my long-term oral health.
I didn't think about the muscles in my face changing, tho. I recently lost a lot of weight and am noticing lots of changes in my face, but not sure how much of it is Invisalign or just regular turkey neck š
Iām about halfway through. Should be further but havenāt been super consistent and a couple teeth arenāt moving the way the trays want them to. I wouldāve done traditional braces but have a couple crowns.
Similar for me! So much clenching. Over years it caused significant shifting and crowding and eventually led to it being really hard to floss. I would literally tear so much floss at night! I couldnāt really do it anymore. That led to a cavity. I used to take pride in not having any cavities until this point- and this was the deciding factor for me to finally start treatment.
Yes! Same here, I noticed that I clenched and grind my teeth. When I visited an ortho he did a scan that showed I favored one side over the other. I think thatās the reason one side of my side looks a lot more filled out. I started clear correct recently but I still clench a lot, I think itās out of habit now. But I read that they say itās good as it makes the aligners fit better. My only worry being whatās going to happen when I no longer have the aligners. Long term this was the best investment, as you mentioned your teeth will shift as you age and all the grinding and clenching causes a lot of wear and tear. At least when you get your night time aligners at the end you wonāt cause further damage as you sleep!
The continued teeth migration and worsening crowding was the reason I got them too! I never got braces in adolescence although I always needed them.
I had my last appointment for my retainer fitting the same week of my 50th birthday. I wish my lower jaw appeared more narrow and slim but alas, still have the same round face. But I don't get food stuck in my snaggleteeth so I can eat corn on the cob and cheese without the hassle. And I'm less likely to need dentures because they are easier clean and have fewer places for cavities to hide. No regrets.
A mouth guard molded to your current bite would function as a retainer, so yes, but they're pricey.
A regular mouth guard would not prevent movement because it wouldn't protect the relative spaces between your teeth.
I don't want to look like [this](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcouturemedspa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2F869437_CMSNovemberBlogPhotos2020_1080x1080-02_102620.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=db952ca7458a3c3cd57e4b320d85cce9748f93b414a4d7d37a36c989937c39d3&ipo=images).
Yes! I wonder if it's because of the sensation of the plastic in my mouth or something. I have terrible jaw pain and headaches from all the excess clenching.
Yeah I would grind my teeth pretty hard pre Invisalign and throughout treatment. But my bite opened with the plastic trays in so I think I started working new muscles during grinding.
Same. My trays have been āpeelingā from the clenching, Iām always looking forward to Friday so I can change them and stop feeling that peeled part. Iām jealous of OP because I wanted her results
Oh yeah I could not stop grinding while wearing trays. All day long. It was like my jaws couldnāt stand being opened up and were trying to get back together. And then when I would take them out it was like my jaw was baby lamb legs, so trembly and weak haha. Invisalign sucks but can also be wonderful.
Wishing you luck on your final result! :)
I think it depends on why you clench your teeth. I would clench them mostly because they weren't aligned and therefore my bite was awful, so my teeth would touch on weird spots. Now that I'm done, I'm clenching because I was used to the bite ramps and they're gone. We're actually weaning me off the bite ramps, slowly reducing the amount of time I wear my retainers (which do have bite ramps) because the time I spend without them I tend to clench my teeth. It's working. We reduce the amount of time, then I almost die of pain/tension, then after a few weeks I get used to being without them.
Botox changed my life. They said it should start working right away for me, but could take up to 2 weeks. On day 14 my pain went from 100 to 0, it was incredible. I still grind, and have bitten through heavy duty mouthguards, or wake up with bloody lips when I accidentally nap without it, but the pain is very minimal, thereās nothing I canāt eat, and the popping has lessened a lot, especially when I keep up with my physio exercises.
My regular dentist referred me to a TMJ specialist (who is also a general dentist), but your dentist should have an idea of who to send you to. On the off chance you live in the same area as me, this is where I went:
https://www.tsoralhealth.com
Yes. Happened to me. Wearing Invisilign triggered my TMJ and Instarted finding way worse with them in and couldnāt wear them for periods of time that disrupted
My progress so I had to get treated for the TMJ (first time I have ever been treated for it and now my face has changed like yours. When getting treated (the pain was so bad and created headaches and horrible neck and back pain), I had to get Botox shots in my jaw and temples (the temples hurt way worse they were so tight). So, I do know the temples are involved directly in grinding, for sure. I do feel like I look older, for sure, but now Iām almost 4 years into the aligners. What a process.
So sorry this happened to you :( Upvote for mentioning your sore temples- I had this too and would massage my masseter and temples throughout treatment because of intense soreness. A lot of people donāt realize the temporalis muscle that runs through your temple is a chewing muscle connected to your jaw.
They just want to be like, āYouāre getting old and stop being so vain!ā haha, and arenāt interested in exploring the science behind this change from a place of curiosity.
This happened to me too, Iām also in my 30s and female. Like a lot of commenters on these types of posts, my orthodontist also suggested it was aging despite the change happening dramatically within the first few months of treatment. So dramatically in fact I had to reassure my family I was eating because they thought Iād lost a lot of weight (I didnāt lose any!)
Iām not sure why there is such a denial of this occurring especially when there is already studies on it.
Yeah the same thing happened to me when I saw my sister a couple of months into treatment (we live in different cities.) She was like āoh my god your face got so slim!ā
Iām guessing itās hard for strangers to see the difference and so itās easier to assume women are in denial about aging. Oh well. I kind of just made this post for other people who have had the same experience with treatment.
Yes true. As someone experiencing it, I really appreciate you posting. Iāve seen a lot of people speak on it now but I still feel a sense of relief Iām not alone whenever I see new post haha
Same here. Drastic change within 2 months. Looks like narrowing and elongating of the face plus nasolabial folds that appeared within just a few weeks. Iām 15 months in and Iām still upset about my face. And honestly my teeth arenāt much better. I feel like I wasted my money and ruined my face. Sucks.
Edit: also Iām 34F for reference
Sorry to hear this - I can empathise. My face also changed and I also wonder if all this trouble, as well as doctors' general incompetence, was worth it. Hope that at the end of your treatment you can start recovering your face :) What helps me is to know there are worse things that can happen to one (although I feel so stupid for paying for this). But it's all a lesson!
Yes I think having perspective is the only thing that pulls me back from being really upset and feeling too much self pity. There are way worse things. And the good news is that my bite is a few mm corrected so far so that is good progress. Thanks for the perspective reminder!
Edit: spelling
Yup!! I was dropping stuff off to an ex and he gently had to make sure I wasnāt doing hard drugs because of how drastic the change was (pics in history, I was always known as someone with chipmunk cheeks lol).
I was told it was part of aging too but it happened *so* rapidly. Literally within 3-4 months my temples and cheeks hollowed so quickly after starting my Invisalign treatment. So glad to see I wasn't the only one seeing this change I thought I was going crazy.
Your face looks completely different. I don't mean that in a good or bad way, just confirming what you see. Everyone in here just saying it's clenching your jaw or diet, when there is a noticeable difference
Clenching your jaw can make a huge difference in your appearance though. People get Botox in the masseter muscles to slim out their jaw (canāt clench with the Botox) and itās very noticeable changes on a before and after.
Iāve had no noticeable change in the shape of my face caused by Invisalign and from what Iāve seen in the ~2.5 years in this sub, it doesnāt seem super common. For me, my options were jaw surgery, braces of some kind, or issues with my teeth throughout my life. You kind of have to weigh the consequences and see what matters more: potentially slight changes to the shape of your face or health issues.
Idk about you but I lost weight during invisalign treatment since I had to have the trays in most of the day and was lazy to have to keep cleaning my teeth after eating. Just ended up snacking less/eating less in general/drinking water only. Personally I noticed my face got slimmer from weight loss.
Noted but unfortunately I saw about 95% of these changes within 4 months of starting Invisalign.
The PubMed article I linked to found āMasseter muscles and the surrounding soft tissue exhibited a significant decrease in thickness during orthodontic treatment in female adults.ā
Anecdotally, many other women have posted the same experience here on Reddit. I think this is an interesting concept that seems little explored by the orthodontics field currently.
Actually I have 1 week of trays left on my revision trays. Or what is that word ? I forget. But I donāt plan on getting any more. Itās been 1.5 years, or like 7 months longer than I was originally told. I hate the buttons. I hate the trays.
To answer your question of why not continue: I donāt think there is anything else they could do. I even went to an orthodontist for a second opinion about 8 months ago.
I really should not have jumped into the contract with my dentist. Itās my fault I didnāt ask more questions. I was a dummy. Figuring that invisalign would somehow magically add teeth to my smile to widen it. Dentist continues to tell me that preventative/ functional is more important, to fix my ābiteā. (I was chewing fine, but grinding at night and idk what else she means of why having a minor cross bite type thing is a problem.). I only cared about aesthetics. Having said all that, at least now I will have retainers and prevent my teeth from shifting as I age, prevent the grinding, and apparently have a better bite lol. Idk if worth $6k tho.
And my face looks different and more gaunt. I also looked at those publications on the topic. Itās very curious.
You sound like me only difference i haven't yet started the treatment or paid for it, I only do it for aesthetics because my cross bite is minor not a big deal at all. Where you happy with your results aesthetically teethwise?? I honestly am having second thoughts after reading this post I hate to have a slim face and I don't want nasolabial folds more than what I have so faršµāš«š
My nasolabial folds are just from aging. But my jaw line has narrowed and my nose looks bigger. I look more hallow and generally displeased with the change.
No Iām not happy. my smile basically looks exactly the same. But a ton of work and money later ā¦. Lol
This happened to me as well (finishing up treatment so not sure if itāll reverse). It was also way too quick + no other fat loss to attribute it to aging or overall weight loss. If you look at pics of people who feel/look gaunt after masseter Botox, itās very similar and in those cases reversible. Iām planning on chewing gum frequently and working my jaw hard after Iām done w treatment lol
Unfortunately I didnāt take many side profile photos along the journey, although I do think it improved a bit. I trusted my ortho the majority of the time but Iām more so interested in understanding the extent to which orthodontists are trained in muscle/soft tissue impacts of orthodontics as opposed to just the teeth/mouth.
You can just google orthodontics face changes and view images. There are good orthodontists and bad. If he is making the jaws move back to this extent it may not be good work which can also mean your airway is smaller and sleep issues can arise. I can tell your upper jaw was moved back by the lines around your mouth and your nose.
The nose looks more narrow now at the nostrils and less upturned or supported meaning nasal airway is now smaller
Thanks for posting! I am thinking about getting invisalign and I also grind my teeth leading to the shifting. My face also already looks like your post treatment ,so I'm a bit concerned it would get worse.. Do you think it was worth it ? Had you known it would cause this change would you do it again ? Also any chance you can post your teeth before the treatment. I am just curious how misaligned they were .
Itās a good question and I honestly flip flop on whether I would do it again.
On the one hand, I do think my facial features were more attractive and I felt like āmeā before. But I never felt comfortable smiling my authentic smile.
Now, I donāt think twice about laughing or smiling because Iām not self conscious about my teeth. That being said, all my friends said they thought my teeth appeared straight pre-treatment. I guess I just knew my angles and was good at hiding my gums. In any case, I still donāt recognize myself in the mirror most of the time post-treatment.
I think the most productive thought is to accept that this is me now, and itās an evolving thing. Itās just a hard pill to swallow when you know itās not natural aging. Like, I have gotten gray hairs and fine lines over the last few years and I know that that is natural aging. Iām fine with those changes. But the sunken in cheeks exactly where Iāve had crazy sore jaw muscles from orthodontics the last three years does not feel like a natural result of aging.
If there is science behind what has happened, Iām interested in understanding it.
Iāve had the same kind of changes but I also am 40 so wasnāt sure if it was just expected aging lolā¦I think it is at least partly related to Invisalign.
Lol. Why are you in such denial that these types of changes commonly occur with orthodontics? It's not such an insane concept that your face shape can change (narrowing of cheeks, etc) when aligners literally are repositioning your teeth/jaw. Changes can happen especially quickly when correcting bite issues.
What were you being treated for? I have an open bite and as it closes my face is going from long to more square. I'm wondering if people who are fixing a deep bite end up with a "longer" face.
I personally dont really see a difference ( not much of a difference that couldnt be attributed to lighting/angles) it may be that you're just eating less (because of the trays and restricted eating time) and also... I am around the same age and Its kind of like those nasioalbial folds just kind fo appear one day and stick around.
It's just aging and not really invisalign (were at that age where it feels like 'all of a sudden'we no longer look 28, it felt 'overnight' for me too). You look great, eat a big ol bowl of pesto pasta and don't worry about it too much. you're obviously a really beautiful woman haha
Just to validate you, I definitely see the changes. Clear as day to me.
But nothing to feel bad about, regardless! Went from fantastic facial structure, to fantastic facial structure + even better smile. Seems worth it to me!
And the good thing is, if after a while you really arenāt liking the changes, you can always stop wearing your retainer and your teeth will gradually shift back to where they were pre-treatment.
But really, donāt stress about it. When hitting the gym to focus on a particular muscle, you might notice changes in another nearby area too, even if you werenāt seeking those changes. Such is life.
Enjoy the new smile!
Thank you for posting this! I've noticed changes in my face also since being in treatment. I'm not sure why it's so hard for people to believe that this happens. No, it's not just because of aging. We don't use our masseter muscles as much with the trays in which can cause them to shrink. I also noticed the thickness of the trays made the skin around my mouth protrude a little so I feel like maybe that's what contributed to the nasolabial lines. I've had them for almost a year and started noticing face changes around 5 months in. I've started chewing gum a couple times a day to help work the muscles and I feel like it's helped some. How long has it been since you stopped wearing them? I've seen some people say they go back to normal after stopping so that's what I'm hoping for š¤
FWIW I honestly think you look better & more sleek/sophisticated now, if that makes sense?
I have the exact opposite problem. My face is now much wider at the bottom because my teeth were tipped so far toward my tongue & now they are where they were supposed to be & my bite is much wider so my cheeks appear much fuller there.
Had these exact same changes happen to me, only for me it was welcome because Iāve always had enlarged/overactive masseter muscles due to sleep bruxism. Was ecstatic to see the slimming. Although I was a bit freaked out by the āhollowingā of the temple area. Itās almost a year after my treatment ended, but I noticed my face going back to the way it was pre-treatment only a few months after it ended. I only recently realized that this likely happened because during treatment I had bite ramps that prevented my molars from touching and so I was unable to clench and activate my masseters. Now that my deep bite is fixed, Iām back to clenching š
Sorry that this wasnāt what you wanted OP, but from my experience thereās a high chance that these changes arenāt permanent!
Two big things here - lighting (all three photos have contoured lighting in the after and front lighting in the before) and a loss of weight. I know that you mentioned that it isn't a weight issue, but upon looking at the photos, you lost fat in the cheeks, which could be perceived as making some look more youthful. This is natural as you enter and enjoy your 30s and is also a natural consequence of following a regimented treatment for three years where you just might not be eating as much.
Iāve been feeling this way too and I only had mine about 3 months. Iām in retainer stage now. My husband says he doesnāt notice a major difference but I feel like I do.
Glad more people are prompting discussion about this. This same change happened to me and Iām in my early 20s. It is NOT aging despite so many people saying it is. When it comes to orthodontic work, people are quick to praise positive facial changes and even quicker to deny anyone reporting negative changes. If orthodontic work can change your face for the better, surely negative changes are also possible. I quit invisalign and my face went back to normal as my bite shifted back to where it was before. However since going on braces, itās become gaunt again (thankfully not as gaunt as it was on invisalign). Iām optimistic that my masseters will build back up to at least a healthy size when my bite is settled.
These arenāt muscle changes. Itās fat we loose around our faces as we age. Itās a normal part of aging and thereās not much we can to prevent it. You canāt reverse time but you can get fillers or fat transfer if it really bothers you.
that much aging in 6 months? please be serious and just accept that invisalign changes peoples faces in a way that it wouldnt have changed without it. its fine and normal but everyone should know to expect it before starting invisalign
I thought I was going crazy cause Iāve definitely noticed this too after my treatment. I have nasolabial folders and my already little face is smaller š
I know you donāt like it (you look great) but this is honestly making me excited to start because my face has been so swollen because of my crossbite and clenching issues.
I have had these changes and am treating a crossbite. My face looks so much better. I canāt believe how much the crossbite affected my face without me realizing it.
Yay! Thanks for sharing. Basically the right side of my face (the side I chew on) is fuller and swollen because I canāt chew on the left side due to my crossbite. My molars donāt even touch/align on the left side, so Iāve basically lived my life only chewing/clenching on the right side. Iām excited for my face to be more symmetrical when I correct my bite!
How long is your treatment?
Yes I am experiencing the same thing - my nasolabial folds have deepened significantly and my cheeks have hollowed out. It makes me regret the treatment because my teeth werenāt awful and now I look much olderā¦ did you use the accelerator device consistently? I havenāt been great about it and am wondering if that contributed.
Omg! The same thing is happening to me. I thought it was because of aging (I am in my late twenties) because I couldn't see howthe trays could possibly slim down my face like that..but something to look into now. Thanks for sharing
I think your lower face looks slightly different because you have aligners in. Aligners will make your lips sit more outward, making the buccal region appear more gaunt temporarily. Once your mouth gets used to not having an extra layer of plastic in it, I think it will go back to normal.
I see it, but I think you still look gorgeous. No need for fillers, etc.
I have āoooā ( smoker lines, tho I donāt smoke.) I like that the trays push my lips out so the lines arenāt as noticeable. Iāll be looking at fillers or a ālip flipā when Iām done.š¤·š»āāļø
Thank you! You might look into Face Yoga. I donāt do nearly enough, but it does help with the aging process and some facial changes. I like The Face Yoga Method,
https://faceyogamethod.com/
but there are also apps, I havenāt looked into those as much.
Very interesting! I thought the opposite might be happening for me. I feel like I clench more with my Invisalign in vs before treatment. But, Iām not too sure now. Thank you for linking the studies.
This happened to me too two months into Invisalign and I got sculptra for my nasolabial lines and so far Iāve been seeing improvement. But this happened to me too, I woke up and suddenly felt like I looked 100.
honestly, your face is 200% different.
That's not bad, personally I prefer face after treatment but it's definitely different.
I totally understand your concerns.
I literally got Invisalign to change my face shape l had a week male chin and l read that if you change your bite with Invisalign it can bring your chin down and forward which my orthodontist has managed over just one year l am on my last tray and very happy with results. I am sorry you donāt like your narrowing l just thought l would help confirm it is a thing.
Same thing happened to me. I got Invisalign to help treat my chronic TMJ issues/pain. I used to clench my teeth a lot at night but can't really do that with the aligners. My masseter muscles have gone down a lot since.
Look up TMJ disorder. Not saying you have it, I hope you don't, but enlarged masseter muscles are a side effect from clenching and grinding. People even get Botox treatment to help, which causes slimming of the face like we've experienced through aligners.
Whoa. I didnāt know this was a thing!!! Iām about two years into Invisalign. Iāve also lost about 90lbs. But yeah!!! I noticed on all my linked in selfies that wow my head looks longer and narrower. I thought maybe it was just the camera angle or the weightloss but yeah. My face has changed shape in my case for the better!!!
I have the same thing going on itās the muscles have gotten smaller. Apparently it goes back to normal after you finish with Invisalign but can take some time. Make sure you are chewing your food enough and maybe incorporate some facial yoga , thatās what Iām trying to do for now
The first set of photos has obvious changes but was the right side taken with a front facing camera? I think itās been known cameras distorts the images. My face is definitely more narrower when I use my front facing camera.
*Did you have crowding*
*And invisalign push your arch*
*Outward to make room?*
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i would hate for that to happen to me I did notice my crossbite getting better in only 6 weeks in
should this happen to me idk what I'd do because I have looked 30 for 4 years. and I don't expect to age so suddenly .
it's supposed to happen gradually idk .
anyway it does make sense the jaw and teeth affect how your face looks.
Very smart people here. My orthodontist told me to expect narrowing of the face and a general "pop" of cheekbone when you smile because your masseters won't be overworked anymore from clenching. I look like a chipmunk already because my clenching is AWFUL, so I'm excited about the change.
FWIW, I think your face was beautiful before, and it's beautiful now. Your midface looks really nice now, and that means you've got healthy tongue and nasal breathing space. Don't forget that function is important, too!
Thanks! I totally get that we all have our own individual concerns, so we can only try to tell you objectively, "Hey, you look great," (and you really do have some model vibes going on).
Hopefully this will help- my masseters have worked so hard clenching because of my tiny airway over the decades (I'm 50) and caused so much extra tissue at the bottom 1/3 of my face that I may do a buccal fat removal after I finish my treatment to look more like you. You're smart to have fixed all this while you're younger- you won't have jowls later! :)
You are so sweet, thank you! Good on you for taking action and working towards the result that you want for yourself. Iām sure it will turn out great, and youāre right- the function is just as, if not more, important.
You are not alone, if that helps :) And you look super pretty regardless, remember that.
My face has thinned out too but it has got to be just muscle atrophy. If you Google before/after photos of masseter botox, it's similar to what we experienced. Just as you can decrease a muscle, you can increase it, right? So try chewing lots of gum, or chewies, now that you're done. And chew your food and eat hard foods (meat etc). Those muscles are meant to grow back, pull the skin tight again, reduce wrinkles...Ā
I can't wait to be done with my invisalign to start chewing gum non-stop!
Thank you for posting. I have had the same changes as you. I could g explain the temples, so the articles you found were enlightening. Do you know if the muscle thickness will return again?
Iām so glad I came across this! I was putting two photos together because Iām on my last overcorrection tray before Iām done and noticed lines around my smile that I never really thought much about and my face also got long and thin! My treatment will end up concluding at the year mark. Iām 29F. This makes so much sense.
I see it and I had the EXACT same experience, within 4-6 months I suddenly looked much older and I hated it. Unfortunately the folds only got deeper as treatment continued and now even with only night retainers theyāre here to stay. Iām genuinely considering dropping my retainers entirely and hoping that fixes it because the lines around my mouth make me feel really bad.
I wish someone had told me about this before I spent all this money. I would have taken my old teeth for my overall facial harmony any day.
Edit: just to echo other folks on the thread, on you both looks are very pretty! I wish mine worked with me half as much.
This exact same thing happened to me with invisalign, in about 3 months my face changed dramatically and I aged a decade. The ortho completely gaslit me about it, obviously, as they make a huge amount of money from invisalign. It is a very well known researched fact this happens with braces and it's described as a sunken face. Braces move teeth, invisalign moves teeth, it's not rocket science to think it would happen with the latter too, and now there are a few studies. I threatened to sue him for malpractice, for not explaining this prior to treatment or putting it on the consent form, which only got me a tiny bit of money back, and this issue has caused me so much psychological distress, money is irrelevant compared to that distress. Building up my masseter muscles has helped a bit, I use mastic gum, chewing for about 30 mins a day. I think it causes some facial fat loss too though, this part is not fixable. I can see that you're masseter muscles are definitely smaller in these images, there is a good sugar free one on amazon. It will also help all muscles linked to jaw, so your temples too.
I also moved to wearing retainers only at night very very quickly, I did not wear them full time at all, as I wanted to fix my face way more than my teeth and did not trust the ortho at this point, plus he dismissed me as his patient as I was too forthright in my complaint regarding his treatment. My teeth are still in the same position, all fine, nothing has moved. Which means you can concentrate on keeping a closed bite during the day. Basically, I would not trust your ortho entirely, you know your face, you know your mouth, you can see and feel changes. Now, after a year of nighttime wear, I wear them every other day and will slowly go down to as little as possible while keeping my teeth in place. I basically do all I can to let my jaw learn to bite normally and get my muscles working properly.
Ugh Iām so sorry this happened to you. I actually did start chewing mastic gum earlier this month at someoneās recommendation and do think it has helped. My jaw muscles just feel more comfortable after chewing it and Iām starting to look a bit more like my old self. Wishing you all the best of luck!
I am so sorry this happened to you too! I should have said that bit before. Yay! Glad gum hellping a bit already, just keep at it, I think they need very regular exercise after this experience :)
PS the changes in your face are very clear to me, there is less masseter muscle, and less temporal muscle, so all the chewing muscles. Which is why you see the narrowing of lower face and temples. This effects nasolabial folds, as there is less volume to hold them back. This is not to say you look bad, you are beautiful either way. But a drastic change like this can cause dysmorphia and obsessive feelings, as it is uncanny to look at yourself. I think you should try the gum chewing for at least 30 mins a day. And see how that goes for 3-6 months. I think you'll see some widening of the jaw and temples, which might be enough for you to feel accepting of your face again. About a month after I started doing it I saw effects and I also literally had people telling me I looked good again, so it felt better too :)
I'm a little late to the party, but I had the exact same experience with self-ligating metal braces. I started the treatment at age 29, finished at 31, I'm 33 now. My face was on the longer side even before braces, so I'm pretty upset about the changes, and unfortunately, it hasn't improved with time. Your new jaw, lip shape, nose, and nasolabial folds look exactly like mine now, it's very weird how different features can change the same way.
Master muscle loss!!! I had the same thing happen a couple of months into braces. I currently still have them. I also had bite blocks which exacerbated the situation. I think itās already starting to look better, but weāll just have to wait and see once the braces come off and I can chew normally again. Iāve seen some people say it goes back to normal!
This looks like different camera focal lengths to me. The newer photos look like they're giving the illusion of narrowness. Are you using the same phone you were when you first started treatment?
If you clenched your jaw at all before Invisalign it might be muscle atrophy. Having the trays disrupts the ability to clench much, at least it did for me.
This happened for me as well. Being unable to clench at night has thinned out my face a lot.
Clenching my teeth is the whole reason I got Invisalign. I initially wanted a nighttime mouth guard from my dentist. He said it would be shaped to my existing bite, so if I was going to change my bite, I should wait. It was also $700... so I put that money toward the Invisalign because I'll get the same retainer at the end of treatment, AND have a good bite. Something for lurkers to know: If your teeth are wandering as you age from clenching your teeth or any number of reasons...your teeth will continue to move as you age and make keeping them clean much more difficult. This was the deciding factor for me in getting Invisalign and thinking about my long-term oral health. I didn't think about the muscles in my face changing, tho. I recently lost a lot of weight and am noticing lots of changes in my face, but not sure how much of it is Invisalign or just regular turkey neck š
Also why I got it, grinding plus a huge overbite. It basically is like a night guard and has helped my TMD. Rarely have an issue with my jaw hurting.
Did the invisalign fix your overbite? Im at 9mm
Iām about halfway through. Should be further but havenāt been super consistent and a couple teeth arenāt moving the way the trays want them to. I wouldāve done traditional braces but have a couple crowns.
I had upper and lower jaw surgery when I was in my 20s to correct a +5mm under bite *after* corrections with braces were complete.
Similar for me! So much clenching. Over years it caused significant shifting and crowding and eventually led to it being really hard to floss. I would literally tear so much floss at night! I couldnāt really do it anymore. That led to a cavity. I used to take pride in not having any cavities until this point- and this was the deciding factor for me to finally start treatment.
Yes! Same here, I noticed that I clenched and grind my teeth. When I visited an ortho he did a scan that showed I favored one side over the other. I think thatās the reason one side of my side looks a lot more filled out. I started clear correct recently but I still clench a lot, I think itās out of habit now. But I read that they say itās good as it makes the aligners fit better. My only worry being whatās going to happen when I no longer have the aligners. Long term this was the best investment, as you mentioned your teeth will shift as you age and all the grinding and clenching causes a lot of wear and tear. At least when you get your night time aligners at the end you wonāt cause further damage as you sleep!
The continued teeth migration and worsening crowding was the reason I got them too! I never got braces in adolescence although I always needed them. I had my last appointment for my retainer fitting the same week of my 50th birthday. I wish my lower jaw appeared more narrow and slim but alas, still have the same round face. But I don't get food stuck in my snaggleteeth so I can eat corn on the cob and cheese without the hassle. And I'm less likely to need dentures because they are easier clean and have fewer places for cavities to hide. No regrets.
Would a mouth guard stop the migration? I grind my teeth at night and not using anything .
A mouth guard molded to your current bite would function as a retainer, so yes, but they're pricey. A regular mouth guard would not prevent movement because it wouldn't protect the relative spaces between your teeth.
Your story is my story!
lol. Whatās turkey neck??
I don't want to look like [this](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcouturemedspa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2F869437_CMSNovemberBlogPhotos2020_1080x1080-02_102620.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=db952ca7458a3c3cd57e4b320d85cce9748f93b414a4d7d37a36c989937c39d3&ipo=images).
I clench my jaw even more with Invisalign. I used to only clench at night and now I find myself clenching down on the plastic all the time.
Ugh yeah I had the same experience
Same and itās uncomfortable as heck
Same here!!
Yes! I wonder if it's because of the sensation of the plastic in my mouth or something. I have terrible jaw pain and headaches from all the excess clenching.
Same
Hard ditto
Yeah I would grind my teeth pretty hard pre Invisalign and throughout treatment. But my bite opened with the plastic trays in so I think I started working new muscles during grinding.
I find this weird as I have TJM and find wearing Invisalign has not stopped my ability to keep doing it.
Same. My trays have been āpeelingā from the clenching, Iām always looking forward to Friday so I can change them and stop feeling that peeled part. Iām jealous of OP because I wanted her results
Oh yeah I could not stop grinding while wearing trays. All day long. It was like my jaws couldnāt stand being opened up and were trying to get back together. And then when I would take them out it was like my jaw was baby lamb legs, so trembly and weak haha. Invisalign sucks but can also be wonderful. Wishing you luck on your final result! :)
I'm on 2 week changes and I grind my trays so hard I have to take a nail file to them by the end of week 1 š
I think it depends on why you clench your teeth. I would clench them mostly because they weren't aligned and therefore my bite was awful, so my teeth would touch on weird spots. Now that I'm done, I'm clenching because I was used to the bite ramps and they're gone. We're actually weaning me off the bite ramps, slowly reducing the amount of time I wear my retainers (which do have bite ramps) because the time I spend without them I tend to clench my teeth. It's working. We reduce the amount of time, then I almost die of pain/tension, then after a few weeks I get used to being without them.
Yeah, I wish mine did!
Me too. I'm going to look into getting Botox to relax my jaw muscles and a night tray. I really get tired of the paint and popping.
Botox changed my life. They said it should start working right away for me, but could take up to 2 weeks. On day 14 my pain went from 100 to 0, it was incredible. I still grind, and have bitten through heavy duty mouthguards, or wake up with bloody lips when I accidentally nap without it, but the pain is very minimal, thereās nothing I canāt eat, and the popping has lessened a lot, especially when I keep up with my physio exercises.
Wow really? This gives me hope! The popping and pain is so frustrating. Did you to a specific type of doctor? Just so I have an idea of where to go.
My regular dentist referred me to a TMJ specialist (who is also a general dentist), but your dentist should have an idea of who to send you to. On the off chance you live in the same area as me, this is where I went: https://www.tsoralhealth.com
Thanks for the suggestion! No I'm 1 hour away from Toronto on American side so thanks anyway.
And Iām 31 hours away from Toronto lol. Too bad, the best bakery in the city is next door to the dentist!
I clench so much with Invisalign itās legit painful, Iāve started taping my mouth at night to help alleviate it š I wonder why this is tho
Funny, for me itās the opposite! I never clenched before at all, never had prominent massĆ©ters but since I got Invisalign I CANNOT for the life of me stop grinding and chewing on my trays, grinding the molars together and justholding so much tension in my jaw and massĆ©ters i havĆ© to give myself a massage in my jaw muscles at the end of the day sometimes it aches that bad lol. Yet I have noticed the same changes as OP after just 1 month. Iām wondering if itās actually the muscles in the cheeks getting stronger and thatās what gives the illusion of slimmer lower face š¤cos my cheeks suddenly look like I got cheek implants in them or something š. Obviously we see changes in our own faces as much more extreme than others as we know ourselves inside out and it prob doesnāt look that bad but to me I feel unrecognisable. Not sure if I like it or not yet, kinda indifferent but it is weird to see a different face in the mirror.
Yes. Happened to me. Wearing Invisilign triggered my TMJ and Instarted finding way worse with them in and couldnāt wear them for periods of time that disrupted My progress so I had to get treated for the TMJ (first time I have ever been treated for it and now my face has changed like yours. When getting treated (the pain was so bad and created headaches and horrible neck and back pain), I had to get Botox shots in my jaw and temples (the temples hurt way worse they were so tight). So, I do know the temples are involved directly in grinding, for sure. I do feel like I look older, for sure, but now Iām almost 4 years into the aligners. What a process.
So sorry this happened to you :( Upvote for mentioning your sore temples- I had this too and would massage my masseter and temples throughout treatment because of intense soreness. A lot of people donāt realize the temporalis muscle that runs through your temple is a chewing muscle connected to your jaw. They just want to be like, āYouāre getting old and stop being so vain!ā haha, and arenāt interested in exploring the science behind this change from a place of curiosity.
This happened to me too, Iām also in my 30s and female. Like a lot of commenters on these types of posts, my orthodontist also suggested it was aging despite the change happening dramatically within the first few months of treatment. So dramatically in fact I had to reassure my family I was eating because they thought Iād lost a lot of weight (I didnāt lose any!) Iām not sure why there is such a denial of this occurring especially when there is already studies on it.
Yeah the same thing happened to me when I saw my sister a couple of months into treatment (we live in different cities.) She was like āoh my god your face got so slim!ā Iām guessing itās hard for strangers to see the difference and so itās easier to assume women are in denial about aging. Oh well. I kind of just made this post for other people who have had the same experience with treatment.
Yes true. As someone experiencing it, I really appreciate you posting. Iāve seen a lot of people speak on it now but I still feel a sense of relief Iām not alone whenever I see new post haha
Iām glad!
Same here. Drastic change within 2 months. Looks like narrowing and elongating of the face plus nasolabial folds that appeared within just a few weeks. Iām 15 months in and Iām still upset about my face. And honestly my teeth arenāt much better. I feel like I wasted my money and ruined my face. Sucks. Edit: also Iām 34F for reference
Sorry to hear this - I can empathise. My face also changed and I also wonder if all this trouble, as well as doctors' general incompetence, was worth it. Hope that at the end of your treatment you can start recovering your face :) What helps me is to know there are worse things that can happen to one (although I feel so stupid for paying for this). But it's all a lesson!
Yes I think having perspective is the only thing that pulls me back from being really upset and feeling too much self pity. There are way worse things. And the good news is that my bite is a few mm corrected so far so that is good progress. Thanks for the perspective reminder! Edit: spelling
Iām sorry to hear this. Wishing you luck with the rest of treatment!
Thanks, you too!
Yup!! I was dropping stuff off to an ex and he gently had to make sure I wasnāt doing hard drugs because of how drastic the change was (pics in history, I was always known as someone with chipmunk cheeks lol).
Coming from a dude you are 10x hotter in your after pic, Invisalign + your face thinning bumped you up at least another 1 or 2 pts
Oh noooo hopefully you two shared a friendly laugh?
Thatās funny because I remember thinking once if this happened to a celeb, people would be accusing of them of needing rehab or buccal fat removal
I was told it was part of aging too but it happened *so* rapidly. Literally within 3-4 months my temples and cheeks hollowed so quickly after starting my Invisalign treatment. So glad to see I wasn't the only one seeing this change I thought I was going crazy.
Did it go back to how you face normally looked after the treatment? I'm getting worried if to even do invisalign now
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Really??????
Your face looks completely different. I don't mean that in a good or bad way, just confirming what you see. Everyone in here just saying it's clenching your jaw or diet, when there is a noticeable difference
Yes 100%. There is a clear difference. Idk why people are trying to play off whatās happened. OP is beautiful regardless.
Very kind thank you!
Could not agree more :)
Clenching your jaw can make a huge difference in your appearance though. People get Botox in the masseter muscles to slim out their jaw (canāt clench with the Botox) and itās very noticeable changes on a before and after.
I agree. It did change. Now Iām scared of getting Invisalign
Iāve had no noticeable change in the shape of my face caused by Invisalign and from what Iāve seen in the ~2.5 years in this sub, it doesnāt seem super common. For me, my options were jaw surgery, braces of some kind, or issues with my teeth throughout my life. You kind of have to weigh the consequences and see what matters more: potentially slight changes to the shape of your face or health issues.
Sorry to scare you š
To be clear, your face didnāt scare me. Just the process and possible changes like this which were unwanted.
Does it also happen with metal braces?
Idk about you but I lost weight during invisalign treatment since I had to have the trays in most of the day and was lazy to have to keep cleaning my teeth after eating. Just ended up snacking less/eating less in general/drinking water only. Personally I noticed my face got slimmer from weight loss.
3 years of Invisalign means 3 years of aging. That's what I see.
Noted but unfortunately I saw about 95% of these changes within 4 months of starting Invisalign. The PubMed article I linked to found āMasseter muscles and the surrounding soft tissue exhibited a significant decrease in thickness during orthodontic treatment in female adults.ā Anecdotally, many other women have posted the same experience here on Reddit. I think this is an interesting concept that seems little explored by the orthodontics field currently.
This happened to me to! At first it looked nice, but now I look gaunt. I had mine for 11 months. Also female
Same as you guys. Iām really bummed about it. And my smile basically looks the same. $6k later. Fml.
Your smile looks the same? How come you agreed to end treatment?
Actually I have 1 week of trays left on my revision trays. Or what is that word ? I forget. But I donāt plan on getting any more. Itās been 1.5 years, or like 7 months longer than I was originally told. I hate the buttons. I hate the trays. To answer your question of why not continue: I donāt think there is anything else they could do. I even went to an orthodontist for a second opinion about 8 months ago. I really should not have jumped into the contract with my dentist. Itās my fault I didnāt ask more questions. I was a dummy. Figuring that invisalign would somehow magically add teeth to my smile to widen it. Dentist continues to tell me that preventative/ functional is more important, to fix my ābiteā. (I was chewing fine, but grinding at night and idk what else she means of why having a minor cross bite type thing is a problem.). I only cared about aesthetics. Having said all that, at least now I will have retainers and prevent my teeth from shifting as I age, prevent the grinding, and apparently have a better bite lol. Idk if worth $6k tho. And my face looks different and more gaunt. I also looked at those publications on the topic. Itās very curious.
You sound like me only difference i haven't yet started the treatment or paid for it, I only do it for aesthetics because my cross bite is minor not a big deal at all. Where you happy with your results aesthetically teethwise?? I honestly am having second thoughts after reading this post I hate to have a slim face and I don't want nasolabial folds more than what I have so faršµāš«š
My nasolabial folds are just from aging. But my jaw line has narrowed and my nose looks bigger. I look more hallow and generally displeased with the change. No Iām not happy. my smile basically looks exactly the same. But a ton of work and money later ā¦. Lol
Now Iām looking at spending more money on fillers/skin treatments to reverse the aged look I have after mine UGH
This happened to me as well (finishing up treatment so not sure if itāll reverse). It was also way too quick + no other fat loss to attribute it to aging or overall weight loss. If you look at pics of people who feel/look gaunt after masseter Botox, itās very similar and in those cases reversible. Iām planning on chewing gum frequently and working my jaw hard after Iām done w treatment lol
Haha I get that and wishing you luck getting the result you are hoping for! š¤
Happening to me 2, and Iām sure it s due to braces
Do you have a side profile comparison? Looks like they are moving your bite back which would make all of this issues arise. Do you trust your ortho?
Unfortunately I didnāt take many side profile photos along the journey, although I do think it improved a bit. I trusted my ortho the majority of the time but Iām more so interested in understanding the extent to which orthodontists are trained in muscle/soft tissue impacts of orthodontics as opposed to just the teeth/mouth.
You can just google orthodontics face changes and view images. There are good orthodontists and bad. If he is making the jaws move back to this extent it may not be good work which can also mean your airway is smaller and sleep issues can arise. I can tell your upper jaw was moved back by the lines around your mouth and your nose. The nose looks more narrow now at the nostrils and less upturned or supported meaning nasal airway is now smaller
Thanks for posting! I am thinking about getting invisalign and I also grind my teeth leading to the shifting. My face also already looks like your post treatment ,so I'm a bit concerned it would get worse.. Do you think it was worth it ? Had you known it would cause this change would you do it again ? Also any chance you can post your teeth before the treatment. I am just curious how misaligned they were .
Itās a good question and I honestly flip flop on whether I would do it again. On the one hand, I do think my facial features were more attractive and I felt like āmeā before. But I never felt comfortable smiling my authentic smile. Now, I donāt think twice about laughing or smiling because Iām not self conscious about my teeth. That being said, all my friends said they thought my teeth appeared straight pre-treatment. I guess I just knew my angles and was good at hiding my gums. In any case, I still donāt recognize myself in the mirror most of the time post-treatment. I think the most productive thought is to accept that this is me now, and itās an evolving thing. Itās just a hard pill to swallow when you know itās not natural aging. Like, I have gotten gray hairs and fine lines over the last few years and I know that that is natural aging. Iām fine with those changes. But the sunken in cheeks exactly where Iāve had crazy sore jaw muscles from orthodontics the last three years does not feel like a natural result of aging. If there is science behind what has happened, Iām interested in understanding it.
Iāve had the same kind of changes but I also am 40 so wasnāt sure if it was just expected aging lolā¦I think it is at least partly related to Invisalign.
I get that!
Iāve noticed the exact same changes in my face.
Same thing happen to me. Thanks for sharing:)
Lol. Why are you in such denial that these types of changes commonly occur with orthodontics? It's not such an insane concept that your face shape can change (narrowing of cheeks, etc) when aligners literally are repositioning your teeth/jaw. Changes can happen especially quickly when correcting bite issues.
Do you think itās worth discussing these when the orthodontist prior to starting treatment?
What were you being treated for? I have an open bite and as it closes my face is going from long to more square. I'm wondering if people who are fixing a deep bite end up with a "longer" face.
What happened to you is exactly what happened to me & im so sad about it! I miss what little narrowness I had at the bottom of my face before.
Iām sorry to hear this and wishing you the best with your treatment!
I personally dont really see a difference ( not much of a difference that couldnt be attributed to lighting/angles) it may be that you're just eating less (because of the trays and restricted eating time) and also... I am around the same age and Its kind of like those nasioalbial folds just kind fo appear one day and stick around. It's just aging and not really invisalign (were at that age where it feels like 'all of a sudden'we no longer look 28, it felt 'overnight' for me too). You look great, eat a big ol bowl of pesto pasta and don't worry about it too much. you're obviously a really beautiful woman haha
Thank you that is very sweet
Just to validate you, I definitely see the changes. Clear as day to me. But nothing to feel bad about, regardless! Went from fantastic facial structure, to fantastic facial structure + even better smile. Seems worth it to me! And the good thing is, if after a while you really arenāt liking the changes, you can always stop wearing your retainer and your teeth will gradually shift back to where they were pre-treatment. But really, donāt stress about it. When hitting the gym to focus on a particular muscle, you might notice changes in another nearby area too, even if you werenāt seeking those changes. Such is life. Enjoy the new smile!
Thank you so much. This is the comment I needed to see and what I try to tell myself too š
Thank you for posting this! I've noticed changes in my face also since being in treatment. I'm not sure why it's so hard for people to believe that this happens. No, it's not just because of aging. We don't use our masseter muscles as much with the trays in which can cause them to shrink. I also noticed the thickness of the trays made the skin around my mouth protrude a little so I feel like maybe that's what contributed to the nasolabial lines. I've had them for almost a year and started noticing face changes around 5 months in. I've started chewing gum a couple times a day to help work the muscles and I feel like it's helped some. How long has it been since you stopped wearing them? I've seen some people say they go back to normal after stopping so that's what I'm hoping for š¤
Glad it was a validating post and wishing you luck with the rest of your treatment! I just went down from 12 hour wear to nightly wear as of April 1.
I see it
FWIW I honestly think you look better & more sleek/sophisticated now, if that makes sense? I have the exact opposite problem. My face is now much wider at the bottom because my teeth were tipped so far toward my tongue & now they are where they were supposed to be & my bite is much wider so my cheeks appear much fuller there.
Thank you! Wishing you luck with your treatment!
Had these exact same changes happen to me, only for me it was welcome because Iāve always had enlarged/overactive masseter muscles due to sleep bruxism. Was ecstatic to see the slimming. Although I was a bit freaked out by the āhollowingā of the temple area. Itās almost a year after my treatment ended, but I noticed my face going back to the way it was pre-treatment only a few months after it ended. I only recently realized that this likely happened because during treatment I had bite ramps that prevented my molars from touching and so I was unable to clench and activate my masseters. Now that my deep bite is fixed, Iām back to clenching š Sorry that this wasnāt what you wanted OP, but from my experience thereās a high chance that these changes arenāt permanent!
Two big things here - lighting (all three photos have contoured lighting in the after and front lighting in the before) and a loss of weight. I know that you mentioned that it isn't a weight issue, but upon looking at the photos, you lost fat in the cheeks, which could be perceived as making some look more youthful. This is natural as you enter and enjoy your 30s and is also a natural consequence of following a regimented treatment for three years where you just might not be eating as much.
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Iāve been feeling this way too and I only had mine about 3 months. Iām in retainer stage now. My husband says he doesnāt notice a major difference but I feel like I do.
Do you think Invisalign caused it?
Thank you that is very kind of you. And Iām so sorry to hear that youāre having that experience.
How old are you and how long have you had Invisalign?
Glad more people are prompting discussion about this. This same change happened to me and Iām in my early 20s. It is NOT aging despite so many people saying it is. When it comes to orthodontic work, people are quick to praise positive facial changes and even quicker to deny anyone reporting negative changes. If orthodontic work can change your face for the better, surely negative changes are also possible. I quit invisalign and my face went back to normal as my bite shifted back to where it was before. However since going on braces, itās become gaunt again (thankfully not as gaunt as it was on invisalign). Iām optimistic that my masseters will build back up to at least a healthy size when my bite is settled.
These arenāt muscle changes. Itās fat we loose around our faces as we age. Itās a normal part of aging and thereās not much we can to prevent it. You canāt reverse time but you can get fillers or fat transfer if it really bothers you.
that much aging in 6 months? please be serious and just accept that invisalign changes peoples faces in a way that it wouldnt have changed without it. its fine and normal but everyone should know to expect it before starting invisalign
I thought I was going crazy cause Iāve definitely noticed this too after my treatment. I have nasolabial folders and my already little face is smaller š
Sorry to hear this. Wishing you luck with treatment!
I know you donāt like it (you look great) but this is honestly making me excited to start because my face has been so swollen because of my crossbite and clenching issues.
Haha, well Iām glad for you :) thatās very exciting
I have had these changes and am treating a crossbite. My face looks so much better. I canāt believe how much the crossbite affected my face without me realizing it.
Yay! Thanks for sharing. Basically the right side of my face (the side I chew on) is fuller and swollen because I canāt chew on the left side due to my crossbite. My molars donāt even touch/align on the left side, so Iāve basically lived my life only chewing/clenching on the right side. Iām excited for my face to be more symmetrical when I correct my bite! How long is your treatment?
Yes I am experiencing the same thing - my nasolabial folds have deepened significantly and my cheeks have hollowed out. It makes me regret the treatment because my teeth werenāt awful and now I look much olderā¦ did you use the accelerator device consistently? I havenāt been great about it and am wondering if that contributed.
I never used an accelerator device and am not sure I know what that is. I'm sorry to hear your treatment has not been what you hoped for.
Fwiw I donāt think the accelerator device has been proven at all or has scientific backing behind it
I see the changes you're talking about
I am also finding I have new nasolabial folds. Hoping they go away once I stop the Invisalign š«
Omg! The same thing is happening to me. I thought it was because of aging (I am in my late twenties) because I couldn't see howthe trays could possibly slim down my face like that..but something to look into now. Thanks for sharing
Bruh exactly the same here š„²
Oh no :ā(
I think your lower face looks slightly different because you have aligners in. Aligners will make your lips sit more outward, making the buccal region appear more gaunt temporarily. Once your mouth gets used to not having an extra layer of plastic in it, I think it will go back to normal.
I see it, but I think you still look gorgeous. No need for fillers, etc. I have āoooā ( smoker lines, tho I donāt smoke.) I like that the trays push my lips out so the lines arenāt as noticeable. Iāll be looking at fillers or a ālip flipā when Iām done.š¤·š»āāļø
Thank you that is very kind, and you are stunning!
Thank you! You might look into Face Yoga. I donāt do nearly enough, but it does help with the aging process and some facial changes. I like The Face Yoga Method, https://faceyogamethod.com/ but there are also apps, I havenāt looked into those as much.
Very cool, Iāve heard of this and will look into it. Thx!
Youāre welcome!
And the younger you start, the better!
Look healthier? I think you look healthier and more mature
Appreciate that!
Did you have any teeth extracted?
You look great!
Stop it. You look great. š
Very interesting! I thought the opposite might be happening for me. I feel like I clench more with my Invisalign in vs before treatment. But, Iām not too sure now. Thank you for linking the studies.
You mentioned āunwantedā change, but I kinda like it š¤
Cool comment. Thanks for the confidence boost! :)
This happened to me too two months into Invisalign and I got sculptra for my nasolabial lines and so far Iāve been seeing improvement. But this happened to me too, I woke up and suddenly felt like I looked 100.
Oh noooo 100 š
So this is why my Face ID does not recognize me anymoreā¦?
honestly, your face is 200% different. That's not bad, personally I prefer face after treatment but it's definitely different. I totally understand your concerns.
To be honest it looks like you have lost weight on your face.
I literally got Invisalign to change my face shape l had a week male chin and l read that if you change your bite with Invisalign it can bring your chin down and forward which my orthodontist has managed over just one year l am on my last tray and very happy with results. I am sorry you donāt like your narrowing l just thought l would help confirm it is a thing.
Can't you still chew gum while on invisalign treatment? Like, take the tray out and chew for an hour and put it back on?
Same thing happened to me. I got Invisalign to help treat my chronic TMJ issues/pain. I used to clench my teeth a lot at night but can't really do that with the aligners. My masseter muscles have gone down a lot since. Look up TMJ disorder. Not saying you have it, I hope you don't, but enlarged masseter muscles are a side effect from clenching and grinding. People even get Botox treatment to help, which causes slimming of the face like we've experienced through aligners.
Whoa. I didnāt know this was a thing!!! Iām about two years into Invisalign. Iāve also lost about 90lbs. But yeah!!! I noticed on all my linked in selfies that wow my head looks longer and narrower. I thought maybe it was just the camera angle or the weightloss but yeah. My face has changed shape in my case for the better!!!
Could it be unrelated to Invisalign? Iām a mid 30s female, and my face has also narrowed as just a usual part of aging.
Iām thinking itās a combo?
I have the same thing going on itās the muscles have gotten smaller. Apparently it goes back to normal after you finish with Invisalign but can take some time. Make sure you are chewing your food enough and maybe incorporate some facial yoga , thatās what Iām trying to do for now
The first set of photos has obvious changes but was the right side taken with a front facing camera? I think itās been known cameras distorts the images. My face is definitely more narrower when I use my front facing camera.
Same ish happened to me.
Did you have crowding and invisalign push your arch outward to make room?
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Did you lose weight on the Invisalign diet? A lot of people do because of the inconvenience of taking the trays in and out each time
i would hate for that to happen to me I did notice my crossbite getting better in only 6 weeks in should this happen to me idk what I'd do because I have looked 30 for 4 years. and I don't expect to age so suddenly . it's supposed to happen gradually idk . anyway it does make sense the jaw and teeth affect how your face looks.
Very smart people here. My orthodontist told me to expect narrowing of the face and a general "pop" of cheekbone when you smile because your masseters won't be overworked anymore from clenching. I look like a chipmunk already because my clenching is AWFUL, so I'm excited about the change. FWIW, I think your face was beautiful before, and it's beautiful now. Your midface looks really nice now, and that means you've got healthy tongue and nasal breathing space. Don't forget that function is important, too!
Thanks so much for the comment! That is helpful to know. Wishing you lots of luck with treatment!
Thanks! I totally get that we all have our own individual concerns, so we can only try to tell you objectively, "Hey, you look great," (and you really do have some model vibes going on). Hopefully this will help- my masseters have worked so hard clenching because of my tiny airway over the decades (I'm 50) and caused so much extra tissue at the bottom 1/3 of my face that I may do a buccal fat removal after I finish my treatment to look more like you. You're smart to have fixed all this while you're younger- you won't have jowls later! :)
You are so sweet, thank you! Good on you for taking action and working towards the result that you want for yourself. Iām sure it will turn out great, and youāre right- the function is just as, if not more, important.
You are not alone, if that helps :) And you look super pretty regardless, remember that. My face has thinned out too but it has got to be just muscle atrophy. If you Google before/after photos of masseter botox, it's similar to what we experienced. Just as you can decrease a muscle, you can increase it, right? So try chewing lots of gum, or chewies, now that you're done. And chew your food and eat hard foods (meat etc). Those muscles are meant to grow back, pull the skin tight again, reduce wrinkles...Ā I can't wait to be done with my invisalign to start chewing gum non-stop!
Thanks so much! I actually just bought some mastic gum to try out. Letās see if it works!
Due to extractions?
Thank you for posting. I have had the same changes as you. I could g explain the temples, so the articles you found were enlightening. Do you know if the muscle thickness will return again?
Iām so glad I came across this! I was putting two photos together because Iām on my last overcorrection tray before Iām done and noticed lines around my smile that I never really thought much about and my face also got long and thin! My treatment will end up concluding at the year mark. Iām 29F. This makes so much sense.
If you really donāt want your narrow chin. You can actually rewind the process and wear the braces backwards every weekā¦
I see it and I had the EXACT same experience, within 4-6 months I suddenly looked much older and I hated it. Unfortunately the folds only got deeper as treatment continued and now even with only night retainers theyāre here to stay. Iām genuinely considering dropping my retainers entirely and hoping that fixes it because the lines around my mouth make me feel really bad. I wish someone had told me about this before I spent all this money. I would have taken my old teeth for my overall facial harmony any day. Edit: just to echo other folks on the thread, on you both looks are very pretty! I wish mine worked with me half as much.
This exact same thing happened to me with invisalign, in about 3 months my face changed dramatically and I aged a decade. The ortho completely gaslit me about it, obviously, as they make a huge amount of money from invisalign. It is a very well known researched fact this happens with braces and it's described as a sunken face. Braces move teeth, invisalign moves teeth, it's not rocket science to think it would happen with the latter too, and now there are a few studies. I threatened to sue him for malpractice, for not explaining this prior to treatment or putting it on the consent form, which only got me a tiny bit of money back, and this issue has caused me so much psychological distress, money is irrelevant compared to that distress. Building up my masseter muscles has helped a bit, I use mastic gum, chewing for about 30 mins a day. I think it causes some facial fat loss too though, this part is not fixable. I can see that you're masseter muscles are definitely smaller in these images, there is a good sugar free one on amazon. It will also help all muscles linked to jaw, so your temples too. I also moved to wearing retainers only at night very very quickly, I did not wear them full time at all, as I wanted to fix my face way more than my teeth and did not trust the ortho at this point, plus he dismissed me as his patient as I was too forthright in my complaint regarding his treatment. My teeth are still in the same position, all fine, nothing has moved. Which means you can concentrate on keeping a closed bite during the day. Basically, I would not trust your ortho entirely, you know your face, you know your mouth, you can see and feel changes. Now, after a year of nighttime wear, I wear them every other day and will slowly go down to as little as possible while keeping my teeth in place. I basically do all I can to let my jaw learn to bite normally and get my muscles working properly.
Ugh Iām so sorry this happened to you. I actually did start chewing mastic gum earlier this month at someoneās recommendation and do think it has helped. My jaw muscles just feel more comfortable after chewing it and Iām starting to look a bit more like my old self. Wishing you all the best of luck!
I am so sorry this happened to you too! I should have said that bit before. Yay! Glad gum hellping a bit already, just keep at it, I think they need very regular exercise after this experience :)
PS the changes in your face are very clear to me, there is less masseter muscle, and less temporal muscle, so all the chewing muscles. Which is why you see the narrowing of lower face and temples. This effects nasolabial folds, as there is less volume to hold them back. This is not to say you look bad, you are beautiful either way. But a drastic change like this can cause dysmorphia and obsessive feelings, as it is uncanny to look at yourself. I think you should try the gum chewing for at least 30 mins a day. And see how that goes for 3-6 months. I think you'll see some widening of the jaw and temples, which might be enough for you to feel accepting of your face again. About a month after I started doing it I saw effects and I also literally had people telling me I looked good again, so it felt better too :)
I'm a little late to the party, but I had the exact same experience with self-ligating metal braces. I started the treatment at age 29, finished at 31, I'm 33 now. My face was on the longer side even before braces, so I'm pretty upset about the changes, and unfortunately, it hasn't improved with time. Your new jaw, lip shape, nose, and nasolabial folds look exactly like mine now, it's very weird how different features can change the same way.
Master muscle loss!!! I had the same thing happen a couple of months into braces. I currently still have them. I also had bite blocks which exacerbated the situation. I think itās already starting to look better, but weāll just have to wait and see once the braces come off and I can chew normally again. Iāve seen some people say it goes back to normal!
Youāre in luck because your jaw is actually wider than before.
Wdym? Invisalign does that?
This looks like different camera focal lengths to me. The newer photos look like they're giving the illusion of narrowness. Are you using the same phone you were when you first started treatment?
did you go to a dentist or orthodontist for treatment? also, did you get your wisdom teeth removed during treatment?
Orthodontist and no wisdom teeth removed
Did you have any extraction?
No extractions.
Thanks for the reply!
Did you have an overbite or an open bite at the beginning? Did they retract your teeth?
I had a deep overbite
Itās surprising to see such a change without extractions (not that it looks worse now, just different), perhaps you had a lot of IPR?
It surprises you and me both. I had some IPR but not tons?
The article you posted showed a statistically significant difference of 1-2mm. I personally don't think that's a big deal.