Brian Povolny, DDS, PhD

If your photo accurately depicts your bite I think Invisalign can probably fix it.  As with braces, getting a good correction may require that you wear some elastics during treatment.  Good luck!

This is a common problem in deep bite cases.  There are several ways to deal with this problem, including bite plates, platforms on the back side of the upper front teeth, or platforms on the biting surface of the lower molars.  In some cases, it may be easier to first place the upper braces and get the upper teeth into a better position so the lower braces can then be placed without having them hit the upper teeth.  Doing this sequential approach will not usually double the time for the overall treatment, but may increase it perhaps 4 to 6 months.

Even after all this time you may find that there is no irreversible damage at all to your teeth or gums.  However, since such damage can occur in a few cases, it is very important to keep regular appointments with your treating doctor when you have braces.  If a problem did occur, it would be caught before major damage was done if you are keeping regular appointments. 

Your photo indicates that you do have a moderately severe bite problem.  I note that you say you want "the perfect smile".  The best way to get this is to visit an orthodontist who is highly trained at both Invisalign and braces.  He/she will be able to tell you exactly what would be needed to obtain that perfect smile.  And if you are only interested in Invisalign he/she will be able to inform you what Invisalign will be able to accomplish.  That way there will be no surprises.

The photo you provided does show a narrow dental arch, but it doesn't demonstrate the excess gums you mention.  It almost looks like the tooth to the left of the left central incisor is a cuspid tooth.  Were you missing a left lateral incisor?  Were your teeth excessively crowded to begin with?  Did you have thin bone or tissue on some of your teeth? Was your orthodontic treatment performed by a trained orthodontist or a general dentist?  These and numerous other factors should be evaluated to come up with a solution to your case.  I suggest you visit a reputable orthodontist to get answers.  These days well trained orthodontists generally don't prescribe tooth extractions unless they are necessary.  The other response to your question made assumptions that are impossible to truly know without seeing you in person.