Can I Get Invisalign If I Have Existing Restorations?

If you’ve suffered from tooth decay or dental injuries in the past, you may have some dental crowns, veneers, dental bridges, or other restorations building up and protecting your smile. These restorations can last for many years, but do they affect your ability to straighten your smile with Invisalign? Continue reading to learn more about how different restorations could play a role in your treatment.

Invisalign with Dental Crowns

Getting traditional metal braces when you have dental crowns can be challenging. This is because you could require a different type of adhesive to secure the brackets to your crowned teeth. Because of this, Invisalign can actually make a better solution for those who have dental crowns. Invisalign doesn’t require adhesives, so most patients can still undergo treatment even if they have crowns. During your consultation with your dentist, they will examine your smile and discuss your dental history to determine whether or not Invisalign is right for you.

Invisalign with Dental Bridges

Traditional dental bridges are fixed into place and cover the surfaces of some of your natural teeth, but orthodontic treatment may not be an option. If too much force is applied to your bridge, it can be damaged. However, in cases where misalignment issues are minor and the teeth supporting the dental bridge don’t need to be moved, Invisalign might be an option.

Invisalign with Veneers

Just like with dental crowns, Invisalign is generally a better option than traditional braces when moving teeth that have veneers. This is because it is very difficult to attach metal brackets to veneers. This is also a risk that attaching a bracket to a veneer could damage the restoration. With Invisalign, the presence of the veneers doesn’t affect the movement of the teeth and there isn’t much of a risk of damaging the restoration since adhesive isn’t necessary. However, most of the time, veneers are placed after Invisalign treatment because they are used to make your smile appear a certain way. Moving your teeth that support veneers can change this. If you want to straighten your teeth and enhance their appearance with veneers, you should plan to get Invisalign first.

Having a previous restoration doesn’t disqualify you from getting Invisalign. During your consultation with your dentist, you can discuss your dental history and goals to determine the best way to achieve your dream smile.

About the Author

Dr. Derel Song earned his dental doctorate from Boston University’s Henry M. Holdman School of Dental Medicine. Since then, he has received a variety of advanced certifications in multiple services, including Invisalign, CEREC CAD/CAM 3D, BOTOX, and dermal fillers. Currently, he is a proud member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, and the Massachusetts Dental Society. To learn more about Invisalign or to schedule a consultation at his office in Burlington, visit his website or call (781) 272-5890.