Invisalign for crowded canines

[HeatherS]

Well, I'm 21 and finally decided to do something about my teeth. A few weeks ago I started invisalign and am starting to have doubts about my dentist. First of all, my teeth are fairly straight, and my bite is good, however my canines are protruding quite a bit due to crowding. (See attachment). A few years ago I went to an orthodontist to ask about invisalign and he said in order to allow for the overcrowding I would need to move my molars and all other teeth backwards to make room. I never ended up going through with it then. However, the dentist I'm using now decided it would be fine to just move my front four teeth forward to make room for the protruding canines. Since this will cause an overjet I have to wear elastics with my invisalign to move my top arch backwards and my bottom arch forwards. Without elastics I will have a bite problem. I'm really worried how my teeth are going to look when this is done. I don't want my front teeth to stick out really far and I can't image the rubberbands working well enough to pull my bottom arch forward to meet up with the new placement of my front teeth.

Will the elastics really work? And is it safe to move my front teeth forward so much? I'm worried that my dentist just wanted to go with the fastest method instead of the best method. My treatment time is only 8 months. I want to get a second opinion but as my trays are already made I don't know what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Dr Pav Khaira]

Hi Heather,

Its difficult to say what needs to be done without a full consultation. There are many ways to produce a good result and what your dentist is recommending may be perfect for you. When used correctly the elastics work exceptionally well.

I'm not sure what can be done now if the aligners are made, I would recommend you speak to your dentist about your concerns.

I hope this helps

Kindest regards

[HeatherS]

Thank you for the response. I will speak with my dentist.