When Should Restoration Work Be Performed?

Eagan, MN – If you’re planning to undergo Invisalign treatment to straighten your smile, but also need restorative dental work done, you may wonder which should be completed first.

“The short answer to this question is that, typically, we recommend waiting until after your Invisalign treatment to have any restorative work done,” says your Eagan ORTHODONTIST.

Some restorations, such as bridges or dental implants, can offer resistance to tooth movement. And that means you may not have the desired result during treatment.

For patients who currently have a bridge and would like to use Invisalign to straighten their smiles, it can be done. However, the bridge may need to be sectioned or cut to allow the teeth to be individually guided to their desired locations. It is important to remember that if the bridge stays in place during treatment, the bridge will not move, only the other teeth around it will. If the teeth in the bridge also need to be moved, it is possible to remove the bridge during treatment, and then once the teeth have been moved, have it replaced.

If you find yourself in need of a dental implant around the same time as you hope to undergo Invisalign treatment, your ORTHODONTIST advises patients to wait until after orthodontic treatment for the implant.

“Because implants are placed in the bone, they are basically set in stone,” says your ORTHODONTIST. “That means the new tooth placed on it won’t be able to move. By waiting to have your implant placed until after orthodontic care, I have the most flexibility to create an ideal bite for you.”

Some patients may worry that waiting too long for an implant may cause their bone to deteriorate, leaving little place for the implant to be put in. However, in the amount of time it will take to complete Invisalign treatment, this isn’t a concern.

If you have dental implants currently and are hoping to have Invisalign treatment, your ORTHODONTIST can still work with you, though. The implants will be used as anchors as the other teeth move. You dentist will need to place your dental implants in such a way for them to properly work as anchors. While your ORTHODONTIST can work with you if you currently have implants, the esthetic look may be different than if you wait until after Invisalign treatment.

Invisalign can, however, work if you already have crowns in place, as long the crown is properly attached and sealed to the tooth. With any braces treatment, including Invisalign, the teeth have to be slightly loosened in order to move to their new locations. This could cause dental work you may currently have to become loose.

For some patients, the malocclusion they hope to correct may also involve the use of certain attachments during their Invisalign treatment. These small, tooth-colored composites need to be bonded onto the teeth, and this can be more difficult on crowns. For patients who will require this, the placement of their crowns will need to be evaluated to determine if Invisalign is an option.

To learn if the restorative work you currently have can be used in conjunction with Invisalign, schedule a consultation with an ORTHODONTIST today.

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