How Common is IPR (Tooth Shaving) with Invisalign?

IPR is often used when trying to get your teeth properly aligned but there is just not enough room to do it.  It sounds more drastic then it is, with the "shaving down" usually only consisting of 10ths of a millimeter.  If your orthdontist did not mention it, then more then likely you don't need it.

When it comes to moving teeth into alignment you have to remember the teeth are in bone. You can only move the teeth within the confines of the bone dimensions available, so the only place to gain space when moving crowed teeth into position is through IPR ( Inter Proximal Reduction - tooth shaving between the teeth) 

 

Of course every case is different so the amount of tooth reduction varies, but as others have pointed out, most of the time tooth removal is in the range of .15 mm's - and only on teeth determined by computer analysis to require IPR for the case to be a success.