Will Invisalign Be Compatible With Your Dental Crown?
by Lillian Dixon
Can Invisalign successfully correct your orthodontic problems if you have a dental crown? Yes and no. That answer is clearly not satisfying, but it's necessary to realise that there are different types of dental restorations called crowns. Whether your restoration is compatible with Invisalign depends on the nature of your particular crown.
A Natural Crown
Crowns are a very common term in dentistry. The visible part of your tooth is in fact called a crown, so a crown can be part of a tooth's natural structure. Of course, a natural tooth can be repositioned by Invisalign trays, with each thermoplastic aligner applying controlled pressure to the tooth to reposition it. Although your teeth will visibly shift within the dental arch, they're actually being repositioned in your jaw.
Bone Remodelling
This repositioning within the jaw involves the root system of each tooth drifting slowly towards its final position. Your jaw actually regrows around the root as it changes position in a process called bone remodelling. So is this process actually compatible with dental crowns?
Porcelain Caps
One type of dental crown is used to restore a damaged tooth. The tooth may have had too much decay to be repaired with a simple dental filling. The tooth could also have been fractured or otherwise damaged, and may have needed the reinforcement of a crown. Dental crowns of this type are also commonly added after root canal treatment. The crown is a type of porcelain cap, and slips right over the tooth. The crown then becomes the tooth's new outer surface.
Root System
Because such a crown only covers the tooth, the tooth's root system is unaffected. Since it's the root system of the tooth that will be shifted via your Invisalign treatment, this type of dental crown, the porcelain cap that fits over and fully encapsulates a natural tooth, should be perfectly compatible with your Invisalign treatment. However, there's another crown that is not so compatible.
Dental Implants
When a tooth has been completely lost and replaced with an implant, the tooth's root is replaced by a small titanium alloy rod inserted into your jaw (and this is the actual implant). The prosthetic tooth attached to the implant is also called a dental crown. Because the tooth's root is now permanently affixed to your jaw, bone remodelling is not possible. Invisalign cannot shift a dental implant's prosthetic tooth since the tooth has a rigid metal anchor instead of a natural root system.
The more common porcelain cap type of dental crown is compatible with your Invisalign, but if you should have a dental implant crown, your orthodontist can come up with a workaround solution.
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About Me
As a mum, I know how essential sport can be to children's development. Through team sports like soccer, kids learn persistence, sportsmanship and the value of supporting their team members. However, all that learning carries some risk as well, and a stray elbow or a ball to the face can result in oral injuries. I have been the mum rushing to the emergency room with a precious permanent tooth sitting in a cup of milk. Admittedly, at the time, I wasn't even sure if the cup of milk was the right solution. As a parent, you will face those situations, and I'm here to make sure you know what to do when they pop up. With this blog, let's explore children's dentistry and sports injuries together... I want you to have the info you need to stay cool, calm and collected, regardless of how many teeth are on the pitch.