Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi @all,

what do you think, is an ortho a better choice for Invisalign treatments than a normal dentist?
I am not really that happy with the ortho I chose. Now I found a dentist who can do Invisalign and I am wondering if that would work as well or if it might be some kind of risk.
My regular dentist told me really strange things about moving teeth, so I thought they don´t know a lot about these things. And an Invisalign-seminar takes only four hours.
But maybe that doesn´t matter, because the Invisalign-Company decides what to do?
What do you think? Any experiences with dentists?

Thanks a lot.

Brahma

I'd say ortho for the reason Meryaten states....an ortho can fix any problems with fixed appliances. Make sure you ask if that would be included. If you don't like the first ortho you've seen, look for another!

Hi @all,

thank you so much for your advice.
I´m afraid the ortho I´ve seen is the only one in town I could find who offers Invisalign. I think I´ll just talk to this dentist and find out what he suggests.
Sometimes I think I´m making too much thoughts. If I had just started right away, I could already be half way done, maybe. But everything has to be clear before of course.

You´re right, could be nasty. Well, I´m really looking forward to getting retainers, because they will always remind me "hey, you got it done at last!". Great dream...

See you,

Brahma

The main question I would ponder would be this: How much experience and expertise does your dentist/ortho have? I have friends who are dentists, both of whom know a bit about Invisalign (and in all fairness, don't do it. One friend says it was just one more thing to learn about and he already does a lot of other "extras").

I feel like my orthodontist has so much expertise in not only Invisalign, but teeth movement, that I would have been a little less comfortable with a dentist because, by nature of the job, s/he probably wouldn't have so much experience in that. I listen to my orthodontist talk, and he is really impressive (can you tell I love my ortho). Plus, they are able to discuss various types of treatment options (for instance, they suggested lower metal braces to modify my occlusion, which I'm not sure a dentist would be able to do), and recommend different types of appliances (metal brackets, Speed Brackets, clear braces, etc).

That's just my two-cents, and I'm not saying that dentists aren't reputable In fact, the only reason I went with the ortho initially is because i couldn't get an appt quicker for the dentist! I'm glad I did, though.

As an orthodontist, I have an obvious bias. But as the others have said, we orthodontists specialize in moving teeth; it's all we do all day, every day. I spent three years in a residency learning how to move teeth, learning everything about the simplest procedures and learning quite a bit about the more difficult things to do, too. A general dentist can do Invisalign after taking a one-day class, and they have a lot to pack into that class that may not have as much to do with moving teeth (taking pictures and impressions, for example).

There are certainly some very capable general dentists who do Invisalign, but your average specialist has more experience with tooth movement than 99% of general dentists. It is a great idea to get a second or third opinion, too!

I chose to go to a dentist because I have large fillings on both of my upper first molars (for 20 years) and I may need crowns put on if the fillings come out or the teeth break. I also have crowns on both lower first molars. I didn't want to have to go back and forth between a dentist and orthodontist if I needed dental work. That is, I was worried if I needed dental work, then the aligners wouldn't fit anymore. So I'd rather have the dentist do both.

I chose a dentist that had a good amount of experience with Invisalign. He is very careful with setting up the Clincheck. He doesn't just go with what Invisalign sends him the first time.

Also, an assistant told me (after I got my aligners) that a cosmetic dentist will balance a nice smile and a good usable bite, but orthodontists focus on getting the bite perfect and are less concerned with the way it looks. I'm not sure if I believe this, but that's what the assistant said.

You can find dentists and orthodontists with the most experience at the Invisialign website. They are considered "Premier Providers" if they have done enough cases.

I would recommend staying with an ortho, for all the above reasons. You can get consultations (at least in my area) free of charge, so get alternative opinions, even if you have to travel a bit. You really only have to see them every 6 or 8 weeks, so going a bit farther may be worthwhile.