Crooked teeth can be embarrassing and difficult to clean and maintain. If you wish to correct tooth alignment issues, Invisalign clear aligners can discreetly correct gaps between teeth, crowding, and other cosmetic issues.
Before beginning Invisalign treatments at our Queens, NY, dental practice, you should know about our Invisalign alternatives. Depending on your cosmetic needs and personal goals, one of our doctors can address crooked teeth in a fraction of the time orthodontic treatments require. Our office serves Long Island, NY, and the greater NYC area.
What Are My Options for Addressing Crooked Teeth?
When it comes to addressing spacing and alignment issue, patients have three basic alternatives to Invisalign: dental bonding, metal braces, and veneers.
Metal Braces
This orthodontic treatment requires the placement of attachments on each tooth so a wire can gradually pull your teeth into better alignment over a period of several years. Many patients find the periodic tightening of the wire to be uncomfortable. Furthermore, in addition to being much more conspicuous than Invisalign, metal braces require daily cleaning and dietary restrictions.
However, there is a reason braces still remain a popular orthodontic option: they are capable of straightening much more severe cases of misalignment than Invisalign.
Veneers
One popular, cosmetic alternative to Invisalign is veneers or LUMINEERS. These thin shells of porcelain are placed directly on top of the teeth to address many minor cosmetic flaws, including mild misalignment and gaps between teeth. To treat gaps, one of our doctors can fabricate veneers that are slightly wider than your natural teeth. Once the shells are cemented to the front of the gapped teeth, they fill in the space between teeth. In most cases, they are recommended to straighten crooked teeth in the “smile zone,” at the front of your mouth.
While this procedure does not actually correct crookedness, one or more veneers can help your smile to appear straighter. If you have a crooked tooth, one of our doctors can shave down the protruding portion of your tooth before fitting a beautiful porcelain shell over the tooth. As an added bonus, patients can walk out of the office with a straighter smile in just two appointments, rather than over a period of months or years.
Dental Bonding
Bonding uses composite resin as mold to reshape the structure of teeth. This cosmetic procedure can be performed to fill in chipped or gapped teeth in a single appointment. One of our doctors can artfully mold composite resin to fill in the gap between your teeth before hardening the material using a special light. If your main cosmetic concern is a prominent gap between two teeth, dental bonding may be your fastest and most affordable treatment option.
Which Option is Right for Me?
During your cosmetic consultation at our Queens, NY, dental practice, one of our doctors will go over each of these treatment options in detail. Choosing the right orthodontic treatment requires an understanding of the pros and cons of Invisalign, braces, veneers, and dental bonding.
Braces offer the benefit of permanent results that do not require alteration to your natural tooth structure. Moving teeth takes time, though, so patients should be prepared to invest several months or even years into this orthodontic treatment.
Veneers offer drastic and immediate results. However, placing one or more veneers does require the removal of natural tooth structure. This step is irreversible, so patients should be committed to the treatment option before pursuing veneers.
Bonding offers a fast and affordable option for filling in gaps between teeth. Composite resin will last for a few to several years. Patients who seek dental bonding should be prepared to have the resin replaced every few years.
Schedule Your Invisalign Consultation Today
Whatever your cosmetic goals are, our dedicated dental team is equipped and trained to turn the smile of your dreams into reality. To schedule your next visit to Astoria Dental Group, please contact our office online or call (718) 831-6975.
