Not sure whether to have veneers or Invisalign braces? A comparison from Harley Street Dental

When you hide your smile in group photos, it may be time to seek help.

Far from being a cosmetic issue, having a misaligned smile can impact on confidence, mental health and if the misalignments are complex enough, it can even impact on your ability to chew food correctly. Yikes.

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There are currently many cosmetic procedures which can alleviate both the functional and cosmetic problems linked to a misaligned smile. However, choosing the right treatment for your specific needs is paramount to long-term confidence and better oral health.

At Harley Street Dental, our team is happy to be able to offer suitable patients these cosmetic treatments. If your smile is off-centre and you need it straightened quickly, you may be a suitable candidate for Invisalign in Harley Street. However, if you are looking for a faster way to close gaps and create better symmetry, we may be able to offer you a different option. Perfect!

In this article, we will compare 2 treatments which may be suited for people with slightly misaligned teeth, small gaps or issues with symmetry; porcelain veneers and Invisalign in Harley Street. Enjoy!

Treatment time

Of the two options, Invisalign in Harley Street will typically require a longer time commitment.

To create veneers, our team will need to scan your teeth and send these images to a laboratory to have the veneers created. While this process can take up to 10 weeks, invisible aligners have an average treatment time of 6 months.

So, of the 2, veneers are faster.

Comfort

As is the way with orthodontics, any pressure (no matter how minimal) which is applied to your teeth is going to be uncomfortable.

While this is usually manageable with over the counter pain relief, some people find the pressure from invisible braces tougher to manage. With veneers, our team won’t even need to apply a numbing injection to your mouth. We simply remove a fine layer of enamel from each tooth which is having a veneer placed on it, apply dental cement and then fit the veneer.

Current dental hygiene

Both procedures will need your oral health to be in good condition. If you have gingivitis, cavities or other dental issues, our team will need to treat these before beginning either treatment.

However, poor oral health in the long-term is more likely to cause veneers to fail, as the swelling of the gums may cause them to fall off.

Treatment goal

Invisible braces can correct crowding, spacing, over, under or crossbites while also creating a more symmetrical smile.

Veneers are somewhat limited in this regard; they can create a whiter smile that has fewer gaps and better symmetry, but they cannot treat bite issues or overcrowding. Therefore, your long term treatment goal will impact on which procedure is more suitable.

Cost

Many patients are surprised to learn that in the long-term, invisible braces are often more affordable.

This will depend on how many veneers you plan to have fitted and how long you wear the invisible braces for.