My dentist offered to refer me to an orthodontist for overbite correction with Invisalign. She says that she cannot do porcelain veneers as I asked because my top teeth almost completely overlap my bottom teeth. She said that the only other option is to do porcelain crowns on my six front teeth instead of veneers. I do not want my teeth ground down for crowns. And the other issue is tetracycline stains on my teeth. I am not sure how the stains would get resolved with just orthodontics. Are there options other than what my dentist knows about? Thank you. Todd from GA

Todd,
You are wise to decline crowns on your front upper teeth. A skilled cosmetic dentist can place veneers and confine the work to the fronts of your teeth to decrease your overbite and conceal tetracycline stains. Your dentist’s options of orthodontic treatment with Invisalign or all crowns imply that she is not comfortable using porcelain veneers for your case. Skilled cosmetic dentists do not decline to do veneers because of overbite.

Will Invisalign Correct Overbite?

Invisalign will correct an overbite. If you prefer orthodontics to straighten your teeth, an experienced Invisalign provider or orthodontist can do it.

Dental Crowns for Six Front Teeth

Getting dental crowns for only six front teeth has some disadvantages.

• Grinds away healthy tooth structure – Your dentist will grind away tooth structure to place crowns over them. And if your dentist is trying to correct overbite with crowns, a significant amount is tooth structure will be gone.
• Does not complete your smile – Eight to twelve teeth show when you smile, so crowns for only six teeth will still leave teeth on either side dark from tetracycline stains.

Concealing Tetracycline Stains

A skilled cosmetic dentist and his or her ceramist can craft porcelain veneers to conceal tetracycline stains. But this requires advanced training and knowledge of how to manipulate color and translucence without making the veneers look pasty.

Many experienced cosmetic dentists have success in treating tetracycline stains with the Kör Whitening system. It may be possible to improve your tooth color with bleaching and correct your overbite with Invisalign, but stay away from a dentist who wants to grind down your teeth for crowns.

Get a Second Opinion

We recommend that you schedule a consultation with an expert cosmetic dentist with experience using Invisalign. After examining your teeth, the dentist will discuss your options. Although you may benefit from treating your overbite with Invisalign, a cosmetic dentist will respect your treatment preferences while clearly explaining the results you can expect.

Best wishes on restoring your smile.

 

Rekha Reddy, DDS of Dallas, TX, sponsors this post.