Do I need remove teeth before I do Invisalign? (Photo)

Question

I went to see few doctor for doing Invisalign , they told me I need remove 2 teethe to have room for upper teeth . Do I really need remove teeth to do Invisalign ?

Supriya Verma, DMD, FAGD · Answer

Hi catcat168,Thank you for posting your question.  It is an important decision you have to make.  It is is best to get a work up done both ways to see what the possibilities are.  A 3-D animation will help you see what the possible outcome can look like and tell you how long the treatment will take.  You can get it done both ways with the teeth extracted and without.  Invisalign alone may not be sufficient.  You may need additional treatment to help expand the dental arch prior to invisalign.  This will help to prevent relapse long term.

Brad Lockhart, DDS · Answer

It is impossible to treatment plan your case with a single photo but I can still give you a few ideas and suggestions. You have severe dental crowding, to properly align the teeth you will have to create space. There are two ways to create space: 1. extract teeth or 2. enlarge the dental arches. There are permanent consequences for each option. Extracting teeth will more than likely create excess space which will result in over retraction of anterior teeth. This causes a myriad of negative consequences; including narrow smile, small lips, nose looks longer, potential sleep breathing problems and TMJ Dysfunction. Increasing the size of the dental arches is a much better option. This can be accomplished using simple, comfortable dental appliances. My favorite for adults is the DNA appliance. Enlarging dental arches will result in a broader smile, full lips, more teeth, and a healthier airway and TMJ. Before extracting teeth, ask the treating doctor what the consequences are. Ask specifically about the potential consequences there are to your facial aesthetics and TMJ and airway health. If the doctor can not talk intelligently and confidently on the subject or says there are no consequences then you need to find a new doctor. Make sure multiple competent doctors agree on extracting teeth before proceeding. Good luck!

Lisa Hansen, DDS · Answer

Good for you for seeking guidance on extracting your teeth before Invisalign. Extracting teeth is an important decision.  Looking at your pictures you appear to have severe crowding.  For your teeth to align properly space will need to be created.  This can be done by flaring out your back teeth slightly, filing in between your teeth, or by extracting a few teeth. When you choose Invisalign treatment your dentist will take impressions and develope a digital 3D mock up of your entire treatment.  If you want to avoid extraction the dentist can choose no extraction and show you what the result would be.    I'm guessing you will need extractions, but if you see for yourself what your final result will be with or without extraction I think your mind will be at ease.  Make sure you choose an experienced Invisalign provider that you feel comfortable communicating with.  My best to you!

Page Mansourian, DDS · Answer

Although it's pretty difficult to give an exact answer with only one photo, but it appears that you may need some extractions in order to create enough room for your teeth to align properly.  I think you'll get a better and more predictable result with traditional braces versus Invisalign. Consult with an experienced orthodontist.

Do I need remove teeth before I do Invisalign? (Photo)

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