Jonathan Torma, DDS

An Invisilign aligner should fit very well in order to get the proper tooth movement.  When it no longer fits the way it was intended to, it doesn't put the proper forces on the teeth and will not work.

The major cause for this is inadequate time wearing the aligner.  The aligner must be worn at least 22 hours a day and will adapt very well to the teeth.  Without the proper wearing time, the aligners do not fit especially when advancing to the next aligner.

Another cause can be tight contact between the teeth.  This can be easily detected and adjusted by your dentist.

When treatment is well planned and the aligners are worn properly,  Invisilign treatment should work very well.

Have you spoken with a reputable dentist or a dentist who is trying to sell you veneers?  No doubt porcelain veneers do look great but many factors affect how they will work for you.  Why are your teeth "yellowed" in the first place?  Have you tried whitening?  How is the basic shape of your teeth?  Which teeth do you show when you smile and I mean really smile?  The best course would be speak to a reputable dentist and have him/her evaluate your smile, teeth and occlusion.  Find out which treatment will leave you in the best shape, looking great, and have the best longevity.  That is the treatment for you.  Often a "wax up" can be done to show approximately what the final outcome would be. All treatment should be well explained and understood before commencing.  Treatment can be extensive and "pricey."  It only becomes really expensive when it has to be redone because the results are not what you expected. Most offices may have some sort of outside financing to help with the payments.  Explore before you buy.....

Qualified - maybe.   The first question is what are your goals of treatment?  Invisilign can definitely align your teeth better and make them more attractive appearing.  With retention, Invisilign can probably address your issues completely.  However, from the photos, it appears that there are other dental issues involved.  If you are comfortable and unaffected by the existing aspects of tooth alignment, then Invisilign with retention will probably give you the best long term solution to acheive your goals.  Good luck!

Vivera retainers by Invisilign are made four at-a-time and are sent over a year's time (every three months).  Although the plastic is thicker than the plastic of the aligners, it still will deform over time.  The company says the retainers need  to be changed every three month.  I have found in my practice that my patients have gotten at least six months of use out of each if the final result of the case are stable and supported by the resulting occlusion (meshing) of  the teeth .  When changing to the next retainer, the teeth will again be held in the original final position due to the consistancy of the cad-cam technology.

The reason to wear retainers after invisilign is to retain your teeth in their final position.  How long to wear them is based on how long you want to keep your teeth straight....hopefully forever.  During treatment, the teeth move based on the pressures applied to them.  The final tooth position should allow the teeth to occlude(mesh) well without any other forces acting on the teeth to move them more.  Nighttime wearing of a well fitting retainer ensures that consistant forces are applied to the teeth and therefore the teeth will stay in the proper final position.  To get your best chance of keeping your teeth in position and to protect your investment -Wear your retainers!