Can Invisalign Bring my Top Canines Down or Do I Need Traditional Braces?

My teeth are primarily straight. My problem is that my upper canines are higher than the rest of my teeth. I need them to come down and then file the dramatic point off. I want that flat, straight across look and am wondering if Invisalign can achieve this or if traditional braces would be more appropriate?

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by Lily-Bug in Baton Rouge, LA

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Invisalign CAN extrude teeth

Invisalign does have limitations to what it can do in a timely manner. While extrusion CAN be done, often it takes a long time. Traditional braces can be more predictable and take less time, and with tooth colored brackets can be nearly as invisible. see video

Yes Invisalign can pull them down slightly...

But remember one thing,that you cant just pull teeth down without taking into consideration the lower teeth and where they will hit with the upper ones..Its called occlusion or bite. You may be able to intrude the teeth on both sides of the canines as well to give you that even straight look that you are wanting...Doing a combination of both movements works well sometimes...Dr Thomas

Invisalign can be used to extrude teeth.

The canines are the longest teeth in the mouth and then can sometimes be the most difficult to rotate or move with only a plastic shell over the top of them. Invisalign is great for minor rotations, crowding and movements less than 2mm or rotating less than 30 degrees. You should be able to get some improvement for sure, however, if you are looking for more than 2-3mm movement, traditional braces will give stronger external forces to achieve that.

It is possible, but I'd rather do what I know will work

Invisalign is a great appliance for many cases. But is does have its limitations. One of those is predictably extruding or moving teeth out of the bone. It certainly is possible, but a skilled design by the doctor and lab, the patient wearing their aligners well, maybe wearing elastics, and a healthy dose of good luck would be necessary. I have seen some amazing cases with Invisalign. But when your primary concern is to do something that is one of... more

Extrusion of canines more predictable with braces

Hi. It will depend on how much you want to extrude your canines. If it is only 1-2 mm, then invisalign with attachments will work. If you need more than 2mm extrusion, traditional braces will give you a faster and more predictable result.

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Comments (1)

my2cents 4 Mar 2013

Being an adult patient with braces has made me question the whole idea of braces. I actually had braces as a teen, but because I wasn't good about wearing my retainer, my teeth became crooked again. I will get "permanent retainers" this time, but I will still be required to wear a removable retainer as well for the rest of my life. Would you get a tummy tuck if you knew you had to wear a tummy brace every night for the rest of your life? Imagine not wearing your tummy brace for a week and POOF your tummy is back! If I had NEVER had braces I probably would have gone with crowns and/or veneers just because I wouldn't want to mess with the stability of my roots.

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