Dr. Hall,
I always wanted to have better smile, that’s why I decided to do 10 porcelain veneers on my upper jaw. Although I don’t have any major problems with my teeth, I wanted them to be whiter and brighter, and I also have one crooked tooth, which is not that bad to my opinion to even consider braces.
However my dentist suggested that I would need to do Invisalign invisible braces treatment before I put my veneers. He stated that after this procedure the drilling would be minimum. He also didn’t recommend Lumineers for my teeth, he said that they might look bulky on my teeth. I am not excited about 9-12 months treatment and additional cost of course, please tell me what do you think about my doctors suggestions and if it make any sense.I would highly appreciate your answer.
Thanks,
Julie from Michigan
Dear Julie,
Please take my recommendations with a grain of salt, because I haven’t seen your case and don’t know why your dentist is suggesting doing Invisalign first and then porcelain veneers. It could be that you have a great deal of crowding or a serious bite problem or something else out of the ordinary. Because, ordinarily a cosmetic dentist would recommend either porcelain veneers or Invisalign for a smile makeover, not both.
I like what your dentist said about Lumineers for you. It is true that they make your teeth look bulky. But I’m suspicious about the other part of what he is saying, so I’d recommend a second opinion from one of our Michigan cosmetic dentists, and this would be a way of verifying what you’re being told. When you go for the second opinion, remember to not let the second dentist know what you were told by the first dentist. That way you can get a completely independent second opinion.
Porcelain veneers from an expert cosmetic dentist can mask crooked teeth so that they look straight. I would choose the porcelain veneers if you are especially impatient or if there are problems with the shapes of your individual teeth.
Invisalign invisible braces will make your teeth actually be straight. And they are much faster than conventional braces, with treatments typically taking six to twelve months. If you are also wanting whiter teeth, it is very easy to do tooth whitening treatments while you are wearing the Invisalign aligners. The aligners can actually be used as bleaching trays. This would be the option to choose if you aren’t in as big a hurry for results.
But in most cases it would be one treatment or the other, not both.
Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
Annmarie says
I’ve heard you can use your Invisalign trays as whitening trays too. Then you could straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. But, like Dr. Hall said, you’d better check with another dentist before moving forward.
Response by Dr. Hall – Yes, Invisalign trays make great whitening trays, and should add only the cost of the bleaching gel to the procedure.