I went to see my dentist, who also does braces, about having my teeth straightened with Invisalign. He told me that it really doesn’t work with misaligned teeth and I need to do traditional braces. I am a bit confused because a friend of mine, whose teeth were frankly worse than mine, used Invisalign. I just feel I am too old to have a mouth full of metal, but guess if I have to I will.
Betty
Dear Betty,
I am not sure why your dentist said that Invisalign did not work for misaligned teeth. That is exactly what it was designed for. I can think of some possibilities.
1. Maybe he knows how to do braces but isn’t certified to do Invisalign so he is steering you toward what he knows.
2. Maybe there is something complicated about your case that you didn’t mention, though I doubt it if your friend had worse teeth and did fine.
3. Maybe he is thinking about how when Invisalign first started, they would only work for the ideal cases. Now, however, the procedure is much more advanced and can align just about anything, with the exception of unusually complicated cases.
My suggestion is you look for an Invisalign certified dentist and get a second opinion. I bet there is a good chance that you are a candidate for this treatment.
A Hidden Benefit to Invisalign
On top of not having metal wires and brackets, as well as working faster, Invisalign has an additional benefit of allowing you to whiten your teeth at the same time. Ask whatever dentist you end up with to provide you with some teeth whitening gel. The aligners can double as whitening trays and you can just wear the gel for any length of time you are comfortable while you are straightening your teeth. It is like getting a mini smile makeover.
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