Despite being expensive, Invisalign provides an ideal alternative to conventional metal braces for those looking for more convenient or less visually obvious options. During Invisalign treatments, patients display higher confidence due to the subtle visual appearance of their appliance compared to braces.
However, dental implants can affect how Invisalign treatments progress and should be planned accordingly. If you have a dental implant and are considering Invisalign, you should know how these treatments interact and what you can expect from your combined treatment plan.
Want to find out if you or your child needs Invisalign? Visit Reese Orthodontics in Charleston, SC for leading orthodontic care.
Schedule AppointmentHow is Invisalign and Dental Implants Connected?
Invisalign retainers work in much the same way as braces to fix your smile using a gradual application of force on your teeth. Dental implants can be used to replace missing teeth with fixed substitutes. Invisalign retainers cover the outside of your teeth while dental implants attach to your jaw, serving as a kind of artificial tooth root.
These treatments coincide more often than you may think. When someone loses a tooth, teeth can gradually become misaligned. This may occur with bone loss, which causes your remaining teeth to shift and compensate for the missing one. Over time, this can cause misalignment, necessitating Invisalign or braces to correct your smile.
Dental implants are permanent, but the teeth around them can still be moved by a treatment like Invisalign. Therefore, these treatments can work together. However, you should consider how timing affects their interaction to make an effective plan with your orthodontist.
When Should You Get Dental Implants?
Since dental implants are permanent tooth replacements and Invisalign repositions other teeth, the two treatments can work in tandem. However, your orthodontist may recommend staggering the treatments in certain ways.
Getting Invisalign before your dental implant is the most common treatment plan. This gives your orthodontist’s plan for fixing your misaligned smile more customizability. They don’t have to worry about a permanent implant getting in the way.
However, if your bone support is in a critical state, your orthodontist may want to insert the implant during your Invisalign treatment. This will prove more difficult since your doctor will have to manage both treatment plans and make sure that the Invisalign moves your teeth around the fixed implant. Keep in mind that the two treatments probably will not end at the same time.
This also applies to people who wait to receive Invisalign after their dental implants. By addressing the surrounding teeth, your orthodontist can make the necessary adjustments to your smile while working around your implant.
Why Dental Implants Do Not Move
Dental implants are fixed to the patient’s jawbone, which prevents the new tooth from moving. Since the tooth is connected to the jaw rather than the periodontal ligament, which allows teeth to move during braces treatment, Invisalign will not affect an implant. Therefore, these teeth can be moved or straightened.
This is why it is advantageous to wait for dental implants until after you have completed your Invisalign treatment. Ask your orthodontist about how to keep the gap healthy while your other teeth are straightened. After completing Invisalign, dental implants are much easier to put in and manage.
When Invisalign is Not Right for You
Other than the timing issue, Invisalign may not be an ideal treatment for you if your dental implants meet certain criteria. For instance, if you have multiple implants within the treatment area, this can impede your Invisalign retainer’s ability to move the remaining teeth effectively. In that case, Invisalign may not be a cost-effective treatment method for you.
Therefore, partial braces may be a better option. They are exactly as they sound – braces that only attach to a few teeth rather than a whole arch. Depending on the location of your dental implants, partial braces can straighten teeth separately and avoid the obstruction of the implant.
Speak with your orthodontist about the timing of your treatments as well as your options if you already have implants and want to start on Invisalign.
Choose Reese Orthodontics
If you’re an adult who is considering Invisalign and dental implants, you need professional advice on your treatment and payment options. For orthodontic treatments in Charleston, SC, Reese Orthodontics offers the latest technology and treatment plans. Our advanced and comfortable orthodontic treatments can be customized to suit your needs. A consultation with Reese Orthodontics includes scans, a comprehensive exam, and a conversation with the orthodontist to discover which treatment options are right for you.
Schedule an appointment with us today to stay ahead of your oral health and receive the best possible treatment in your area.
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