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Dr. Gregory S. Coakley
Dr. Coakley,
I had regular metal braces on my teeth when I was a teenager about 25 years ago. I unfortunately lost my retainer about 23 years ago. Since that time my teeth have shifted back almost to where they started; I have a gap between my front teeth again and on the bottom my front teeth are rotated. I couldn’t really see myself wearing metal braces again, do you think Invisalign would work?
Invisalign was essentially created to fix the types of problems that occur in patients that once had orthodontic treatment but whose teeth are now relapsing. From your description, it sounds like Invisalign should work to correct your issues and could take as little as 20 weeks with Invisalign Express.
There are a number of limiting factors in using Invisalign, though: physical limitations of the aligners as well as behavioral factors, and each case has to be examined closely. For an example of a physical limitation, because of the way the aligner system attaches to the teeth, Invisalign is not good at moving teeth “up and down.” Difficulty is also presented in rotating pre-molars because the round shape doesn’t provide much “grip” for the aligner. There are many more behavioral factors, like being able to wear the aligners continuously, or keeping the aligners from getting lost since they have to be removed so frequently. There is also the matter of being able to regularly come in for adjustments, which means you would need to remain in the area (no moves, no job transfers, etc.) for at least the term of treatment. Keep in mind that while smaller cases may be able to be accomplished in 20 weeks, the average Invisalign case does take about 12-18 months.
Give us a call if you’re in the area and we’ll be able to discuss your eligibility in greater detail: 732-741-9090 or Two River Orthodontics.
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