Are You a Candidate for Invisalign?

If you are looking to straighten crooked teeth, but don’t like the idea of traditional metal braces, then Invisalign can seem like an appealing option. Invisalign offers many benefits that make it a popular choice, but it’s not right for everyone. Is it right for you?

The great news is that most people can benefit from Invisalign. The best way to know if you’re a candidate for Invisalign is to schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at StarImage Dentistry in Wichita Falls. Our experienced cosmetic dentists can look at your smile in detail and help you decide what is the best approach for straightening your teeth. In the meantime, this blog can help you understand some of the considerations that might make Invisalign a better choice for some people.

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Will Invisalign Fix Your Smile?

One of the most important factors when considering Invisalign in Wichita Falls is whether the procedure will correct your cosmetic and functional problems with your teeth. Invisalign can fix most types of misaligned teeth, including:

Crookedness
Gaps
Crowding
Rotation
Crossbite
Overbite
Underbite

However, it can’t help with all bite problems. The system cannot close large gaps in your smile, nor can it help with severely rotated teeth. Moving teeth up and down can also be difficult for Invisalign.

Also, if you have major functional problems with your bite, such as those contributing to temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ / TMD), Invisalign might not be the best choice. Determining what gaps are too large, rotations too severe, or bite problems too major requires a consultation with an Invisalign dentist.

Do You Have Incompatible Restorations?

Invisalign works best with natural, healthy teeth. It can manage teeth with some restorations–and can do it better than traditional braces.

In many cases, you can get good results with Invisalign if you have the following:

However, we have to evaluate these on a case-by-case basis because they can make it even more challenging to achieve tooth rotations, for example.

Dental restorations that are likely to interfere with Invisalign include:

Dental implants
Dental bridges

Dental implants are more like your natural teeth than any other tooth replacement option. However, one of the ways they’re not like natural teeth is how they interact with the bone in your jaw. This keeps them from moving with orthodontics the way teeth do.

Dental bridges are also challenging for Invisalign. A bridge makes multiple teeth into a single unit, which Invisalign can’t move effectively.

Have You Lost All Deciduous (Baby) Teeth?

Invisalign also works better with adult teeth than with deciduous teeth (often called baby teeth). People are currently investigating whether we can treat mixed dentition–including both adult and baby teeth–with Invisalign, but we don’t have the answer yet.

Do You Have Good Oral Health?

It’s important to have good oral health when starting Invisalign. Even minor gum disease and cavities can worsen when using Invisalign. Since gum disease can affect the bone anchoring your teeth, it can lead to tooth loss.

During your evaluation, a Wichita Falls cosmetic dentist at StarImage Dentistry will evaluate your oral health. If necessary, we can treat gum disease before starting Invisalign treatment.

Are You a Smoker?

Smoking is not good for your oral health. Smokers are more likely to develop gum disease and cavities, and they’re also more likely to experience tooth loss. Being a smoker can also affect your bones’ ability to shape around your teeth, which is critical to the function of orthodontics like Invisalign.

If you want to get good results with Invisalign, you should be prepared to quit smoking for at least the duration of your treatment.

Can You Be Diligent with Oral Hygiene?

In many ways, oral hygiene is easier with Invisalign than with traditional braces. You don’t have to clean around brackets and wires to get your teeth clean.

However, Invisalign does require diligent oral hygiene. With Invisalign, you should brush and floss after every time you eat or drink anything other than water. If you can’t commit to doing that, you can put your oral health at risk.

Are You Committed to Wearing Aligners?

Traditional braces are attached to your natural teeth. This means they’re working on moving your teeth 24 hours a day. With Invisalign, the treatment only works when your aligners are in. So, although you can remove your aligners on many occasions, it’s best to leave them in as much as possible. We recommend wearing your aligners for a minimum of 22 hours a day.