Invisalign or Lumineers

[Laura K]

Hi

My top front teeth overlap each other and I am looking to have more straight and whiter teeth as soon as possible, because I am getting married next May.

I have read about both Invisalign and Lumineers and don't know which one would be better for me. On the one hand, the thought of Lumineers treatment is attractive because it seems to be able to give me straight white teeth very quickly. On the other hand my dentist says that even with Lumineers, he would still have to drill my teeth because they overlap each other and he recommends Invisalign treatment.

I am worried that the Invisalign treatment will not finish by my wedding day, although my dentist says that it will probably be near the end of treatment by then.

I would like to know which option you would recommend for my situation. Do you recommend Invisalign or Lumineers and why?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Dear Laura,

Thank you for your question.

This is a common scenario, should you go for veneers or braces to have straight teeth. The short answer is each case is looked at individually and planned as appropriate. Following a consultation we can advise which option is better for you.

As your dentist has said you will need your teeth drilled for Lumineers I suggest you have Invisalign to straighten your teeth firstly. Lumineers is ideal for no preparation or minimal preparation cases and it seems your teeth will need some preparation. Drilling teeth is irreversible and I suggest the more conservative treatment. Lumineers is more suitable for patients who don't like the shape as well the position of their teeth.

Invisalign has many benefits, its nearly invisible and its removable. So you can remove it for your wedding day. The average invisalign case takes 1 year so the invisalign treatment may be finished by next May.

After Invisalign some patients consider recontouring and reshaping for further smile enhancement. These can be done quickly and inexpensively. So in summary most people with moderate to severely crooked teeth should consider alignment first and then veneers if necessary to finish the case. This is a more expensive option, takes 1 year usually and the best for the health of your teeth in the long term.

Hope this answers your question.