Early orthodontic treatment can have a lasting impact on your child’s bite, jaw development, and facial balance. The Invisalign Mandibular Advancement System is a modern solution for children with developing overbites, offering a comfortable and discreet alternative to traditional functional appliances.
At Dental at Keys, we provide advanced early orthodontic intervention to guide jaw growth and reduce the need for complex treatment later in life.
This treatment is most effective for growing children aged 9 to 14, when jaw growth is still active.
Your child may benefit if they have:
A noticeable overbite
A small or retrusive lower jaw
Difficulty biting or chewing
Crowded or misaligned teeth
Early signs of jaw imbalance
Treating these issues early can reduce treatment time later and lower the risk of extractions or jaw surgery.
Invisalign Mandibular Advancement works in two ways at the same time:
Special features in the aligners guide the lower jaw forward in small, controlled steps, encouraging healthier jaw growth. This is known as functional therapy.
At the same time, the aligners gradually move the teeth into better alignment.
This dual approach makes it an efficient option for Class II early treatment.
There is now a new version of Invisalign Mandibular Advancement that includes occlusal blocks, similar in concept to a traditional Twin Block functional appliance.
These occlusal blocks are built into the aligners and sit between the upper and lower teeth. They help to:
Hold the lower jaw in a forward position more effectively
Improve control of jaw posture during growth
Provide better vertical bite management
Increase stability during treatment
This design offers the biomechanics of a Twin Block appliance with the benefits of clear aligner therapy, making it an excellent Twin Block alternative for suitable patients.
If you are concerned about your child’s overbite or jaw growth, early advice is invaluable. The Invisalign Mandibular Advancement System, including the newer occlusal block design, offers a modern and effective approach to early jaw correction. Contact Dental at Keys today to book an orthodontic assessment and learn more about Invisalign for children.
Whether using the standard or occlusal block version, Invisalign Mandibular Advancement offers:
Clear, discreet aligners for better confidence
Improved comfort compared to bulky appliances
Removable design for easy cleaning and eating
Digital treatment planning for accuracy and predictability
Simultaneous jaw correction and teeth straightening
Early functional treatment can improve facial balance, bite function, and long-term orthodontic stability.
At Dental at Keys, treatment begins with a detailed orthodontic assessment, including:
Digital 3D scans
Bite and jaw evaluation
Growth analysis
If suitable, a personalised treatment plan is created. Most children wear a series of aligners for 12 to 18 months, with regular reviews to monitor growth and progress.
Our team provides modern early orthodontic solutions tailored to each child’s growth pattern. We focus on:
Child-friendly care
Advanced digital technology
Individualised functional orthodontic planning
Long-term oral health outcomes
Early assessment can make a lifelong difference in jaw development and smile confidence.
An orthodontic functional appliance is either a removable plate or a fixed appliance that aims to correct the relationship between the upper and lower jaws. Often a patient will have their lower or upper jaws set too far forward or too far back. The aim of a functional appliance is ‘move’ the desired jaw back/forward into its correct position, thus ending with a more stable upper and lower jaw relationship. Occasionally we combine functional orthodontic therapy with orthopaedic expansion.
There are two main types of Functional Appliance categories – Fixed (glued-in) or removable.
Removable appliances include the classic Twin Block appliance and Clear Aligners (Angel Aligner A6 Mandibular Advancement Therapy).
*Please note that we do NOT offer Fixed Functional Therapy.
1) If a fixed appliance is made (eg. Herbst or Forsus appliance) – this is will glued to your back molars. It may be activate once every few weeks to push the jaw forward as required.
2) If the appliance is a removable plate – it is as simple as placing the appliance in your mouth and clicking it into place. Please note that this appliance needs to be worn all day and night (and during meals). It should only be removed for cleaning. Failure to wear the appliance during the require times will result in slower treatment.
Most functional appliances are designed to speed up the growth of the lower jaw. This is done by forcing the lower jaw to be positioned further forward into the proper relationship, allowing the jaw joint to grow and remodel into this new position. Severe cases may need the lower jaw to be position further forward slowly over a period of time. Once the correct relationship has been established, this position is held for a few months to allow the muscles to adapt to this new position (up to 6 months).
The appliance will be worn at all times for a period of approximately 6 – 12 months. This period may vary depending on your tailored treatment plan, and progression of treatment
once the functional appliance has been fitted. The appliance only works when it is worn, and if removed – treatment progress may be lost. Wearing a removable appliance whilst eating results in the movement of your jaw up to 13x faster!
After treatment with a functional appliance, it is very likely that you will need to have further treatment such as braces to straighten your teeth. Treatment such as braces may also commence whilst you are still wearing your functional appliance. Each case is different, and your dentist will inform you of your tailored treatment plan.
Orthodontics is not just simply about straightening teeth. Here at Dental at Keys we aim to create a beautiful full smiles. We pay particular attention to the curvature, width and height of the smile. All of these aspects involve a lot more work than just straight teeth. The last thing we want for you is to have a flat straight smile (ie. Denture smile).
We also pay great attention to the profile of your face. Not only should your smile be full, but your facial profile should match it is as well. There is no point in extracting teeth in a patient who already has a sunken profile. Similarly, patients with lips that are too full should not have this worsen. This is why we say we treat the face, and not just the teeth.
