Does Invisalign work on a dead & root filled tooth?

[James H]

Hi

I have a dead front tooth that was root filled probably about 3.5 years ago in the states. I would like my teeth to be a bit more straight and I think Invisalign would be the ideal solution for straightening my teeth.

I would like to know if Invisalign works on a dead tooth? I know the root filled tooth is ok, because it has never caused any infection for me over the last 3 years or so but I just don't know if the invisible braces can move a dead tooth or not?

If Invisalign can move the root filled tooth, is it likely to take longer to move than normal teeth or about the same length of time?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello James,

Thank you for your post.

Teeth that are dead and have infection should have root canal treatment and if no signs and symptoms of infection are present then invisalign treatment can be started.

Invisalign should not be started on a tooth which is dead and has not been root canal treated because teeth movement can worsen the infection and also lead to root and bone damage.

Sometimes a root filled tooth responds less predictably to orthodontic tooth movement and the movements predicted are not expressed clinically. This is only known once the invisalign treatment is started. It may take longer to move a root filled tooth but movements with invisible braces are generally slower than with fixed braces and therefore more predictable and better for the health of the teeth and supporting structures.

We would need to assess your teeth and take a suitable radiograph of the root filled tooth. We offer free invisalign consultations at Pearl.