Invisalign Advantages: Invisalign vs. Braces vs. Veneers

Invisalign: The Premiere Choice For A Smile Makeover

Why should Invisalign or Invisalign Teen be a one of your top considerations for a smile makeover? It’s easy to see Invisalign’s advantages over other established procedures commonly used in smile makeovers. The advantages of Invisalign will, more than likely, give you a reason to smile.

Comfort, esthetics, and treatment time have always been the primary concerns for the adult patient when it comes to orthodontic treatment. Invisalign, when compared to other teeth straightening options, has been shown to solve many of these concerns.

To see if Invisalign is right for you please contact Dr. Matt Walton at Walton Orthodontics for a complimentary consultation.

What About Veneers or Instant Orthodontics?

Veneers have been used for a long time to address many cosmetic dental concerns. Invisalign and veneers cannot necessarily be compared directly with each other even though they address many of the same problems. Veneers are considered a “quick fix” for a whole host of dental issues including crowding, gaps between teeth, overlapping of teeth, irregular alignment, discoloration, tooth-size discrepancies, etc. However, there are some significant drawbacks to veneers.

Drawbacks To Veneers

Veneers have several drawbacks:

1. The entire front surface of the tooth’s enamel is permanently removed to accommodate the veneer, which is a thin piece of porcelain or plastic that is glued onto the front of your tooth. This process is irreversible.
2. Veneers Are Not A Permanent Solution. Because veneers are made of ultra thin materials, they have a tendency to chip or break requiring them to be replaced on an individual basis which can be expensive.
3. Veneers have a limited life span. Even if they don’t break or chip, veneers routinely have to be replaced every 5 to 10 years depending on the quality of the veneer and the dentist’s preparation. At this point, patients have no choice but to replace their veneers, incurring significant costs every time the veneers are replaced.
4. Veneers are not always the best cosmetic choice. A great deal of technical and dental skill is required to get acceptable results. In some instances, veneers can actually result in unacceptable cosmetic results especially when trying to mask misaligned or gapped teeth.
5. Most importantly, veneers are purely cosmetic…they are simply a mask or facade for teeth. They do not correct the intrinsic health problem of the tooth. Instead of straightening teeth as Invisalign does, veneers simply cover up the imperfection.

Final Thoughts

The major advantage of Invisalign is that it is virtually impossible to see while it is being worn and at the same time it is taking care of alignment and crowding problems that could be affecting the overall health of your teeth. It is not faster than getting veneers, but over a lifetime Invisalign is a much better value since it does not have to be redone over and over again.

Even if veneers are needed, for whatever reason, properly aligning the teeth with Invisalign can decrease the total number of veneers needed and/or improve the appearance of veneers placed by closing gaps, reducing crowding and more ideally aligning teeth. This can result in a significant cost savings. So, before you go to the dentist for veneers, see Dr. Walton for a free consultation to review your options for avoiding veneers or at least limiting them.

Dr. Matt Walton – Walton Orthodontics