Can I straighten one arch only with teeth aligners?

So you want straighter teeth, but you only want either your upper or lower teeth straightened. Is it possible to just get those teeth straightened with teeth aligners? It’s a natural question to ask, and we actually hear this all the time on our live chat and emails.

How to create space for teeth aligners without getting teeth out

There are 2 techniques used to create space for teeth aligners to work.

1. IPR

IPR (interproximal reduction) involves the dentist filing away some your teeth to create space for them to move into. For this procedure you need to go to a dentist for physical treatment.

2. Arch expansion

Often the root of the problem comes from having a narrow jaw. In order to move the teeth into their new straighter position the arch needs to be expanded. This makes the jaw, and the row of teeth in question, less v-shaped and more rounded.

With this technique, you won’t need IPR and all your treatment can be done and supervised remotely. Everything is shipped directly to you and all the reviews are done with your assigned dentist through the app. At Straight Teeth Direct™ all the cases are designed and programmed with arch expansion, giving you the best results possible with the least headache.

Why do both arches need to be moved with teeth aligners?

In certain cases, it’s possible to treat just one arch, but with most remote cases, small changes have to be made to both to get the best results.

For cases that are tele-supervised and done at home without regular dentist visits or IPR, space is created by expanding the arch so the teeth can then shift into the tiny gaps.

As you can see, the aligners improve the jaw shape to widen slightly, meaning there’s space for the teeth to move into. Now imagine the opposite arch of teeth is still narrow. The teeth have to be able to bite into the right place, but if one arch has to be expanded then the opposite one needs to be too, making everything balanced and stable. In these cases, you may only have to wear aligners on the other arch for 2-3 months for some small movements, whilst you complete the main movement on your other arch.

If the other arch isn’t widened or aligned, there is a risk that your other straightened teeth won’t stay as straight and they’ll want to move back to their previous position.

A price for teeth aligners that will make you smile

At Straight Teeth Direct™, our goal is to help you get a smile you love. We don’t want finances to be a barrier, so we don’t charge per arch like many clinics do, instead you get all the aligners you need to get your straighter smile included.

The price is unique and the same for all at home braces cases, on average it’s 50 to 70% cheaper than other teeth straightening solutions available out there.

To be able to program your case and prepare your new 3D smile simulation, impressions of both top and bottom teeth are always needed. Your case requires the same attention by the lab and your assigned dentist, and we want to make sure all users receive the same level of care and end up with a 5-star experience.

To find out more and ask questions specific to your teeth before getting started with teeth aligners, make sure you submit your teeth photos for your free e-consultation to get your free smile assessment.