Invisalign or Veneers to Correct Gap? (photo)

Here are the steps I would follow to treat your case correctly and give you a nice, aesthetic result.  

1.  Due to your narrow upper and lower arches, I would get a consultation with an orthodontist and consider full orthodontic treatment.  The will broaden your smile and improve your bite significantly.  

2.  After the braces are removed I would have a cosmetic dentist perform some gingival recontouring to raise the level of the gums.  This will allow you to show more natural tooth structure when you smile.  

3.  If any porcelain veneers are still needed they could be done at this time.  This should only take two visits to finish your veneers.  

It is possible to do No Prep veneers or bonding to close the space.  You have a very narrow arch, a narrow smile and dark buccal corridors (empty space between cheeks and teeth)

 

The best cosmetic result would be 10 veneers.  Invisalign will improve the look but cannot widen the jaw fully.  Epigenetic Orthodontics would be my first choice of treatment to give yourself a full wide smile.

Each option will have pro's and con's. You seem to have nice teeth. I would stop, and take the time now to visit a respected Orthodontist to get their opinion about closing the space. Many dentists do Invisalign, but a great Orthodontist will give you the best results. In addition, there could be more than one approach and they can give you your best options. 

I would also spend time now with the best Cosmetic Dentist you can find. If the size of your teeth are too small, he can coordinate a plan with the Orthodontist so that you wind up with an amazing result. I have seen too many patients arrive for a "little bonding" or a "veneer" after having their teeth straightened, and the alignment wasn't right.

You need a solution that will give you great peace of mind, and to be excited about your final, beautiful smile. Don't do anything until you feel good about going forward.

Also-if you simply decide that Invisalign is not a right fit for you, then veneers can create a great result. Veneers are very long lasting and are fairly trouble-free for most people when they are done by an experienced Cosmetic Dentist.

From what I am able to see, I would suggest seeing an orthodontist for a consultation. You may need a combination of both braces and venners to achieve your goals.

I would not do veneers on anyone who wasn't 100% sure of what they were doing.  Sounds like you are very apprehensive about removing tooth structure, which is understandable.  That leaves you with hardly any options.  Invisalign wont close that space.  Conventional ortho may expand the arch but will leave probably more spaces that will need to be closed (veneers).

Have you considered bonding to close the space?  I made some "crude" measurements of your photo using my calipers just to see what is possible while still maintaining some proportion.  It looks to me like bonding could be added to the 2 front teeth to close the gap.  It will violate golden proportion a little but will look much better.  Also adding bonding to the laterals would help bring those into the arch form as well ass make them appear a bit wider.  This will "hide" a little of the canines making them appear "thinner".  This would help move things towards golden proportion.  However, it wont get you all the way there,  only 8-10 units of veneers with gingivoplasty will do that. 

You will need to find a skilled cosmetic dentist to achieve this.  Furthermore, because you have a "gummy" smile, you may want to consider gingivoplasty with the bonding.   This would also help with height to width ratios.  Again finding a skilled cosmetic dentist preferably one with a laser and experience with these kind of problems is a must.

 

Hope this helps,

John Schmid DDS LVIF

Both your upper and lower arches appear to be extremely narrow and constricted. I suggest you have a consultation with a board certified Orthodontist to consider expanding your arches first. Invisalign alone, will only make your arch more narrow, which could eventually lead to sleep apnea, heavy snoring, and TMJ issues.

From the looks of it, the upper lateral incisors (2nd tooth from the middle) look a little bit small.  This is part of the reason why there is a gap between the front teeth.  If they were a little bit larger, then there would be a smaller space.

There are times when orthodontic treatment should be done before veneers in order to redistribute the space.  In this case, it may be to move the upper central incisors together more and leave space behind those teeth so that the sizes of the teeth can be made more optimal without removing too much tooth structure.  It will also allow the veneers to be centered over the position of the roots.

Good luck!