Invisalign: Q&A

Ask a Question

I've Had Two Very Contradicting Consultations About Invisalign... (photo)

I have mild crowding on the top and bottom and three of my teeth protrude slightly. He recommended 15 months of trays and to create a bit of space he would file the sides of the protruding teeth. Today I went to another specialist. She said she never recommends invisalign because it is a less permanent solution. She wanted to extract four teeth to create room and use traditional braces for 18 months. I see this as way to intrusive..but which dentist is right?

Tags:

Comment on this

4 Doctor Answers | Asked by skofler in Durham, NC

Doctor Answers (4)
Community Comments (0)

Invisalign vs Braces

Great question! From your description and the photo you've provided it is not possible to give a definitive answer to your question. If I were examining you I would ask myself what my goals were as an orthodontist, and then I'd ask what yours are as the patient. In general, when I examine a patient I ask myself how I would achieve an ideal bite and smile. If you have a significant overbite and crowding I might conclude that the best... more

Invisalign for Protruding teeth

I am not an orthodontist, however I have had a good deal of success using Invisalign in cases like yours. You may require a small amount of slenderizing to make space -- but it would be a very small amount and we could accomplish it creating spaces smaller than 0.4mm...If you were my patient, I would do Invisalign first and finish your case with some gingival contouring to help minimize the gumminess of the smile. I would NOT have your teeth extracted to make space. more

Invisalign or Traditional Braces Extract or Don't

You have a complex situation. Your answer partially lise in the expectations of the results you hope to achieve. Invisalign would work and provide a satisfactory result for some people. We as clinicians know that in cases like yours we get a much better result from traditional braces. You have moderate crowding, a class 2 dental relationship and a little bit of a gummy smile. Most docs can get your teeth straighter wit invisalign and traditional braces. A... more

You might also like...

Real Stories

Tray 2 out of 20

I'm a 35 years old male who never had braces. I decided to finally get it over with after...

Before + After Photos

View 205 Invisalign photos

Which orthodontist is correct?

I assume both doctors are Orthodontists. As far as the one doctor saying that Invisalign is not as permanent a correction, this is both true and false perhaps in your case. A well treated Invisalign case is just as stable and permanent as a case treated with braces. What she may be referring to is the fact that there is a limit to how much expansion and filing (slenderizing) you can do to create room before the final result is unstable. As it usually is necessary to... more

Doctors will not see your comments on their answers. If you'd like to follow up, please go here to ask another question.

Comments (0)

Ask a Question

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.

Invisalign: Q&A