Invisalign in Harmony: 4 Cosmetic Dental Treatments that Work with Invisalign

Invisalign is a great way to straighten out a smile with too many gaps or a smile with crooked or crowded teeth. It's also much more convenient than braces as you're able to remove your retainer at any time with little impact on its effectiveness as long as you keep your aligner in for the majority of the time. And for the most part, Invisalign aligners are invisible. 

This makes for a harmonious transition from crooked smile to straight and confident smile. However, while Invisalign might be compatible with you, is it compatible with any previous cosmetic dental work you might have had done? 

The answer is yes. For the most part, your Invisalign treatment should not negatively impact any existing cosmetic dental work. Here are some examples of how Invisalign can work in harmony with other cosmetic dental treatments--and one example why it can't. 

Invisalign and Bonded Teeth

As long as you inform your cosmetic dentist about your bonding before beginning Invisalign treatment, there shouldn't be a problem. Although Invisalign trays exert force on your teeth in order to move them, this orthodontic force is gradual and light; it shouldn't pose a threat to any bonded teeth. 

However, in the unlikely event that one of your bonded teeth does fracture, your dentist can use your last aligner as a reference point from which to rebuild and reshape the tooth. 

Invisalign and Crowns

Crowned or not, your teeth will gradually move as normal with Invisalign trays. In general, Invisalign trays do not need to be bonded to teeth with brackets, unlike standard braces, which can damage crowns during the removal process. 

Depending on your particular needs, your dentist may need to place some clear attachments to some of your teeth in order to aid certain movements. This should not affect your crowned teeth as it is standard practice for dentists to place these attachments on the teeth that aren't crowned.

Even in the event that an attachment needs to be placed on a crowned tooth, a special porcelain-friendly bonding agent will be used.  

Invisalign and Veneers

Dentists recommend that you do your Invisalign treatment first, and then veneers, but as long as your veneers are firmly bonded to your teeth you shouldn't have any issues doing it the other way around. 

As with crowns, should your dentist need to place attachments on your teeth to perform certain movements during your treatment, they will use a special bonding agent, which will protect your porcelain veneers from any damage when the attachments are removed. 

Invisalign and Bridges

Invisalign is compatible with dental bridges, but bridges themselves cannot be moved by the treatment as they are fixed units. There are three ways that you can undergo Invisalign treatment with a bridge.

The first is to cut the bridge to allow the teeth on either side to move during the duration of your Invisalign treatment. The bridge can then be replaced later. The second way is to remove the bridge before treatment commences and later replace it once treatment is complete, and the third is to simply leave it in place if you do not require the teeth in the bridge to move with the others. 

Invisalign can also work in harmony with dental implants, but the process is more complicated as once dental implants have been placed into the bone of your jaw, they cannot be moved by Invisalign or braces.

Whatever your situation, your dentist can design an appropriate treatment plan to give your smile the spark it deserves.