Invisalign treatment needs some teeth shaving. (Photo)

Question

My dentist recommended invisalign for my bottom crowed teeth as the picture shown, he said that he will need to shave the bottom front teeth by 0.5 to create some space for the crowed teeth to fit in place properly as part of the treatment result process do you think that will cause sensitivity for the front teeth after being shaved by 0.5? Thank you very much.

Leonard Tau, DMD · Answer

This is referred to IPR.  We create space 3 ways - extracting teeth, expanding arches or creating small space between teeth.  In your case, creating a small amount of space between your teeth would be the way to go.  You are talking about a very small amount of space in total. That amount is not something that I would worry about . If it is. 5 between each tooth than that is more of a concern

Brad Lockhart, DDS · Answer

Shaving teeth to create sufficient space to properly align them is called "interproximal reduction (IPR)" or "slenderizing." When teeth are crooked it is almost always because there is insufficient space to properly align them. There are only three solutions for insufficient space: 1. extract teeth, 2. slenderize teeth or 3. enlarge the dental arch. My personal preference is the inverse order of this list. Slenderizing teeth will not harm the teeth and should not cause sensitivity. Assuming the 0.5 mm of slenderizing that you are referring to is spread among multiple teeth then this is very common treatment and is commonly utilized when using clear aligners to straighten teeth.Good luck!

Invisalign treatment needs some teeth shaving. (Photo)

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Invisalign treatment needs some teeth shaving. (Photo)

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Invisalign

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.