Can I Get Invisalign after Having Lumineers Done?

I feel like having Lumineers done was the worst mistake of my life. My teeth were crooked, but not overly bad and squished together a bit. My dentist assured me that Lumineers would correct it and that it would be much easier because I wouldn’t be stuck with Invisalign for a year. I should have known there are no shortcuts in life, but I went ahead with it anyway. I really hate the results. My teeth don’t look even at all. It’s like my whole mouth is crooked, not just a few individual teeth. Worse yet, they feel big and bulky and don’t look natural at all. Every time I look in the mirror, it’s like I’m wearing a pair of those “Big Bubba” joke teeth. I’d like to go back and do Invisalign to fix my smile the right way. Can I safely have it done after the fact?

Thanks,

Sarah

Dear Sarah,

Sorry to hear you’re having so much trouble! First, the good news: this can be fixed. The bad news, however, is that Invisalign is not going to be a viable option.

Options After a Lumineers Failure

A lot of patients have trouble after Lumineers, simply because they were marketed as a no-prep or low-prep veneer. Most of the time, dentists remove a little more tooth structure to accommodate the new facing. With ultra-thin veneers such as this, less tooth is removed, but it can also add unnecessary bulk to the tooth if not done right. Because most dentists don’t just add to the tooth- even using this branded method- removing it means that some new kind of facing or protective layer must be added if that facing is taken away. You could correct it with a different type of porcelain veneers, provided you see someone with more cosmetic dentistry training.

Why Invisalign Won’t Work

Invisalign could have worked before this, but not after. That’s because it will shift the teeth and the margins (where the teeth meet the gums) may not match up exactly when they are aligned right. While you could use the aligners to straighten your smile, your teeth will still need some kind of new protective covering created. This could be done with porcelain veneers or some kind of in-office solution, like composite veneers. Again, though, you’ll want to seek out someone who really understands cosmetic dentistry; the dentist you saw for your original treatment isn’t likely to produce the beautiful results you want using any method if he sent you away with “Big Bubba teeth” to begin with.

This blog is sponsored by Elgin dentist Dr. Steve Sirin. Dr. Sirin has undergone extensive cosmetic dentistry training, enabling him to provide superior aesthetic results with personalized treatment plans including things like porcelain veneers.

Photo Credit: Barney Moss via Flickr.