Perhaps it's something you haven't yet mentioned during any of your orthodontic appointments, but you have a few fillings in your teeth. You might begin to wonder if your upcoming Invisalign treatment is going to be affected. After all, there are a number of teeth in your mouth that have been restored with tooth-colored composite resin (white fillings). Will these fillings compromise your treatment in any way?

A Trained Eye

First of all, you might have forgotten to mention your dental fillings, but your orthodontist has noticed. White fillings are largely invisible to the untrained eye, but your orthodontist will have identified them. They may have even had an especially close look at these fillings to make sure that they're perfectly intact and won't need any repairs during your Invisalign treatment.

Customized Trays

Your Invisalign trays are customized for you. Dental impressions are taken to record the precise dimensions of your upper and lower sets of teeth. This could take place digitally, using a handheld scanning device, but some orthodontists prefer a manual impression, which involves biting down on dental putty to create a physical mold of your bite. The exact contours and outlines of your teeth are captured with this dental impression. 

Restoration Compatibility

The outlines of your teeth may include any dental restorations, such as fillings, but also any ceramic restorations attached to teeth, such as dental crowns or veneers. Because your fillings are part of your teeth and don't impact the tooth's mobility during orthodontic repositioning, they won't have any effect on your Invisalign treatment.

Incorporation

In fact, the outlines of your teeth (both their natural surfaces and surfaces that may be a white filling) are so incorporated into the shape of your aligner trays that these outlines shouldn't change in any way during your Invisalign treatment. This is why an orthodontist inspects a patient's restorations to make sure they're intact. 

Older, Damaged Fillings

If a filling is reaching the end of its service life, replacing it prior to commencing Invisalign can be suggested. A new filling added during treatment will change the outline of the tooth. Even though this change may seem insignificant, it can lead to slightly differing and uneven pressure application from your aligner trays. This can lead to unsatisfactory results, and it may become necessary to make a whole new series of aligner trays for your treatment. 

Invisalign is completely compatible with strong, intact dental fillings. But if the filling is old and becoming damaged, it can be wise to have it replaced before starting your orthodontic Invisalign treatment.