Repairing Enamel Wear from Invisalign Braces

Question

I have had Invisalign since April of 2009, 9 months down the road my teeth are almost perfect. My question is if anyone else has noticed wear on their enamel of their teeth where the actual brace rubbed. If so is it fixable? Its not bad but I do notice it. There is no tenderness what so ever just concern. Other than that and a slight lisp Invisalign has worked wonderfully!

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

Since the aligners for Invisalign are made of plastic (resin polymer) and enamel is harder, the tooth is normally not harmed.  It is possible that the wear you see is from how the teeth aligned previous to Invisalign treatment?

	At the end of treatment, the dentist or orthodontist can polish the enamel to look natural and beautiful, so this should not pose a problem.

R. William McNeill, DDS, MS · Answer

If teeth are normally formed, the enamel surfaces are quite hard and resistant to wear. Since the aligner material is resilient and quite a bit "softer" than the teeth, it is unlikely they would abrade the enamel surfaces. Enamel is vulnerable to softening (decalcification) when exposed for extended periods to anything that is acidic. Using aligners after eating, and particularly after drinking soft drinks or citrus juices, and not brushing does expose the teeth to acid and might cause decalcification.

	In the absence of that, it is most likely that there was some wear, prior to treatment, that went unnoticed because of the irregularity of the teeth but became apparent once everything was aligned properly. I suggest discussing this with your dentist and/or orthodontist. They will probably recommend polishing, maybe in combination with whitening, to give yo the best possible smile appearance.

Robert Waxler, DMD, MS · Answer

Teeth are HARD, invisalign aligners are SOFT (plastic)...they cannot wear enamel...either you had wear before you started or too much acidic liquids when you were wearing the aligners

Repairing Enamel Wear from Invisalign Braces

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Repairing Enamel Wear from Invisalign Braces

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Everything you need to know about Invisalign

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