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Invisible aligners help in a variety of situations where the teeth need to be repositioned, and they can even assist with filling in missing teeth. If you have one or more missing teeth, not only can you still get aligners but you may want to before you have a replacement tooth put in. Here’s how aligners can help prepare for a replacement tooth.
Replacing Missing Teeth Offers Significant Benefits
Many people who have missing teeth decide to get a replacement tooth, and the reasons for this decision are obvious. Putting a replacement tooth in with a bridge or an implant is a common procedure, and it instantly restores your smile once the process is finished. With a restored smile, many people feel more confident and comfortable with their appearance.
Invisible Aligners Make Room for Replacement Teeth
If you’ve been missing a tooth for a while, however, you might not be able to simply have a replacement tooth put in place.
Teeth shift over time, and they’ll shift to fill in the space left by a missing tooth if nothing else is in that space. Before you can have a replacement tooth put in, you may need to have the teeth that moved shifted back to their original and proper positions so that there’s space for the replacement tooth.
Invisible aligners are specifically designed to provide an easy and effective way of shifting teeth. While they’re most well-known for straightening crooked teeth, they’re also perfect for moving shifted teeth back into place so that there’s room for a replacement.
Aligners are custom-made based on your personal smile and where your teeth need to move to. The aligners are based on an impression of your teeth so that they perfectly fit your mouth, and a series of different aligners are used to steadily move your teeth into their desired positions. During this process, tooth movement can also be slowed to protect teeth that are still fully intact.
The result is a safe and efficient way to reposition teeth, simultaneously making room for replacement teeth and straightening the remaining teeth for a beautiful smile.
Aligners Offer Several Benefits Over Braces
Of course, braces can also be used to straighten teeth and move certain teeth to make room for a bridge or implant. When compared to braces, however, invisible aligners have several benefits.
First, invisible aligners aren’t visible. These are clear plastic aligners, and they don’t become discolored since they’re changed out for new ones every few weeks (as teeth move into position). In short, invisible aligners aren’t noticeable — which is a major consideration for many adults who want to perfect their smile without drawing attention to it in the process.
In contrast, braces are almost always noticeable. Even when they’re designed to be discrete, food easily gets stuck in them and results in an unsightly smile.
Second, invisible aligners can whiten teeth while also straightening or repositioning them. For many people who want to improve their smile with a replacement tooth, this is a major consideration. When putting in a new tooth, it only makes sense to create a smile that’s as beautiful as possible — and that normally involves whitening.
Braces are unable to whiten teeth simultaneously while repositioning them, and the metal of braces will interfere with any whitening treatment that’s performed. If braces are used to shift teeth, any whitening procedures applied must normally be delayed until the braces are removed. This prolongs the overall treatment process.
Finally, clear aligners are easy to keep clean. Brushing and flossing will go a long way with keeping a mouth clean with any treatment, and the aligners themselves can be rinsed out with cold water to remove any particles that accumulate in them.
For even more thorough cleaning, clear aligners can be washed with antibacterial soap, white vinegar, Dentibrite, non-abrasive toothpaste, denture cleaner or clear mouthwash. These treatments help keep clear aligners looking great for the entire time they’re worn.
Obviously, braces can’t be cleaned to the same extent because they aren’t removable at home. Brushing, flossing and using a mouthwash are the best ways to clean braces, but they aren’t as effective as taking aligners out.
Given these various advantages, it’s clear why many people prefer invisible aligners for repositioning their teeth.
Get Help Crafting Your Perfect Smile
Whether you need a tooth replaced or just want your teeth straightened, Dr. Laster and the team at Laster Orthodontics will make sure your smile becomes absolutely beautiful. To learn more about clear aligners and how they might play a role in repositioning your teeth, schedule a free consultation with Dr. Laster today.
At Laster Orthodontics, we help families develop healthy, life-changing smiles using customized treatments, cutting-edge technologies, and caring relationships. Our individualized treatment plans help our patients achieve their perfect smile in the quickest, most painless way possible by utilizing a wide range of options from traditional braces to propel accelerated treatment to Dr. Laster’s in-house aligner program, Laster Perfect Smile. With three locations throughout the Triangle Area, we create life-changing smiles every day.
