Invisalign clear aligners gently move crooked teeth into straighter positions by applying increasing amounts of pressure. Unlike with traditional braces, you’ll wear a set of customized clear trays over your teeth, sort of like inserting a mouthguard before playing a rough sport.
Overall, the process is incredibly comfortable and convenient – but what if you have existing dental work like crowns, fillings, or veneers? Will Invisalign respond well to your restorations and cosmetics, or will you need to look for other orthodontic options? It depends on the dental work, but fortunately, your dentist will likely be able to help!
Crowns: Easily Moved
Since dental crowns are precisely customized to fit over broken teeth without being too bulky, Invisalign trays can rest on top of them without issue. The crown will also move with the tooth, so as long as the restoration isn’t loose or damaged, you should be able to have a successful treatment.
Fillings: Easily Moved
Fillings are a non-issue when it comes to Invisalign. They’re placed inside of a tooth that has experienced decay and will follow Invisalign’s gentle guidance.
Bridges: If Small, Easily Moved
Bridges replace one or more teeth that are missing in a consecutive row, using two crowns on either end of the gap to anchor the restoration, and the necessary amount of “pontics” (false teeth). This makes things a little more complicated for Invisalign, but the aligners can work well if the bridge is small. Larger ones may limit orthodontic movement and will need to be evaluated by your dentist.
Veneers: If Changes are Minor, Easily Moved
Similar to crowns, veneers are carefully crafted to be a good fit for your teeth. They also only go over the front-facing portion of your pearly whites. Veneers usually move with Invisalign treated teeth, though major shifts risk dislodging the veneers.
Dental Implants: Do Not Move, but Can Be Successful
Dental implants are another tooth replacement option and are surgically placed along the jawbone. They’re designed to mimic natural teeth as closely as possible but aren’t quite as flexible when it comes to orthodontic movement. Invisalign plans are usually created to work around them so that the surrounding teeth are aligned with the implant, and this strategy is successful in the vast majority of cases.
Rest assured, if you have existing dental work, your dentist will take this into account when customizing your Invisalign treatment. Depending on the nature of your restorations or cosmetics, your treatment timeline may be a bit longer than average, but with careful planning, you should be able to avoid complications. Just remember to be honest about your dental history during your consultation!
About the Practice
Dr. Scott Mosby and Dr. Chris Caldwell are experienced dentists in Kingwood. They each have their own unique skillset, enabling them to provide quality and comprehensive dental care to their patients. Their professional affiliations make them well suited to help patients with existing dental work have a successful Invisalign treatment. To schedule your Invisalign consultation, contact Dr. Mosby and Dr. Caldwell’s office at 281-359-6672.