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I am 5 months into an Invisalign treatment which is set to last one more year. During my annual checkup, my dentist found that I have two cavities and recommended that they be filled.

Could getting the cavities filled impact the contouring of the teeth and the fit of the retainers as I move forward with the treatment? If so, should I try deferring the fillings until later or should I have the aligner adjusted?

michaelpri
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sleepeez
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  • I don't understand why you would ask strangers on the internet whether you should ignore your dentist's advice. – Carey Gregory Feb 24 '16 at 04:58
  • Because the dentist didn't know the ramifications of the fillings on the invisalign treatment. And I would expect some people on the internet to have experience or knowledge on the issue. – sleepeez Feb 24 '16 at 05:37
  • What was true for some random stranger might not be true for you. Why not just call your orthodontist and ask? – Carey Gregory Feb 24 '16 at 21:08
  • This is actually not a bad question. Although it's against the rules to specifically consult on one case, here we have a general question which is often on the mind of more than a few patients, and therefore we can provide guidelines for these patients. – enap_mwf Feb 27 '16 at 05:36

1 Answers1

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1) Depending on the location of the cavities, the fillings could impact your Invisalign treatment, especially if you have many Invisalign molds that have already been pre-fabricated. This is due to the fact that Invisalign wraps itself tightly around the surface of individual teeth to cause their displacement. Any change of tooth morphology ("Shape") could have an impact on how well the Invisalign sits on the teeth and compromise its efficiency.

2) Depending on the depth of the cavity, the dentist could decide to monitor the cavity instead of immediately filling it. If dental hygiene is improved, the cavity could stop growing or in some cases the cavity can remineralize. On the other hand, if it is too deep, it is more urgent to fix the cavity than doing the Invisalign treatment. Keep in mind that if a tooth is damaged, there is no sense in moving it around in the first place.

To conclude: Dental Hygene is crucial during ortho treatment, since the ortho appliances, including Invisalign can Harbor food debris and bacteria, as well as hamper the cleaning action of saliva, causing an increase in the likelihood of getting cavities. Communication between the orthodontist, the dentist and the patient (you!) is very important. Everyone has to be aware of each other's wants, needs and actions. If you don't let your dentist know you are getting an orthodontic treatment or you don't tell your orthodontist that you had fillings done, there is a possibility that they won't become aware of a problem which could result in additional fees, and delays in the treatment plans.

Sources:

enap_mwf
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