
Relapsed Open Bite After Jaw Surgery Successfully Retreated with Invisalign
35-year-old female with prior double-jaw surgery and subsequent condylar resorption presents with a recurrent Class II open bite.
Orthodontics · Research & teaching
Clinical research, case reports, and teaching in orthodontics
Board-certified orthodontist in San Francisco. Stanford; Harvard DMD cum laude and MMSc. Edward H. Angle Society member, 2016 Invisalign Shootout winner, and a national and international lecturer on advanced aligner treatment. Founder of Bella Smile.
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35-year-old female with prior double-jaw surgery and subsequent condylar resorption presents with a recurrent Class II open bite.

28-year-old female with severe skeletal Class III, underbite, open bite, posterior crossbites, and prognathic mandible

Seven-year-old female with a thumb-sucking habit, skeletal Class II, 8 mm overjet, right posterior crossbite, constricted palate, and severe crowding.

You may have seen headlines asking whether clear aligners and retainers release microplastics. Here's the calm, science-based version: yes, lab studies show tiny particles can shed — but no study has shown this harms patients, and Invisalign has actually tested lowest of all aligner brands compared.

Why age 7? By then, most kids have a mix of baby teeth and their first adult teeth — the ideal window to catch developing bite and jaw issues while there’s still time to guide them. Screening doesn’t mean braces; for most children, it simply means a plan to watch and wait. But for underbites, crossbites, severe crowding, and a few other specific issues, timing really does matter.

This became very personal for me recently.

In this lecture, Dr. Shen Garnett will explain how clear aligners can be used to control the vertical, its capabilities and limitations. An overview of stability and mechanics used to close open bites will also be covered.

Dr. Bella Shen Garnett is the 2016 Invisalign Shoot Out Winner. Voted by fellow Orthodontists and Orthodontic offices nationwide for treating the most difficult case with the best finish and outcome.