If you’re self-conscious about your smile’s appearance, you’re not alone. A lot of work goes into maintaining a beautiful smile, but sometimes it isn’t enough. Restoration treatments are those that repair teeth and help restore their shape and function. Orthodontic care involves the repositioning of teeth to eliminate gaps and overlaps and improve the overall bite. When restorative treatments are required, as well as orthodontic care, you may be wondering which to do first. The answer may not be the same for every patient, but deciding where to begin is important.
How Starting With Restorative Care Can Be Best
There are many cases where beginning with restorative care may produce better results. This tends to be the case in the majority of treatment plans. Some areas of your teeth that may be exposed and have suffered from should be addressed before orthodontic correction. If cavities have formed in the gaps between your teeth, this is the best time for your dentist to address them. Once the orthodontic treatment is completed, this gap will be closed and harder to treat.
- Restoration vs. Realignment – Readjusting the position of your teeth is the province of orthodontic care. If you’re suffering from mild alignment issues as the primary concern, it may be appropriate to start with orthodontic care. If you have teeth that have compromised enamel and need restoration, this is often the way to go.
- Costs vs. Results – The time investment required to achieve results with orthodontic treatment are another consideration. Orthodontic treatments can take weeks, months, or even years to complete. Restoration treatments can be performed much quicker and usually only take a few visits. This means that these issues will have the opportunity to get worse throughout your orthodontic care if not addressed first.
- Isolated vs. Combined Treatment – The majority of orthodontic treatments don’t require multiple professionals to work together. Additionally, there’s limited aesthetic intervention done in these kinds of cases. If you have dental problems requiring multiple forms of treatment, it’s best to leave orthodontic care for last. This can help prevent these treatments from interfering with each other.
A multi-faceted treatment plan requires coordination and timing to get the best results. Consulting with each of the professionals involved is an important step in ensuring the outcome you’re hoping for.
Talk To Your Dentist For Restorative-Orthodontic Options
Every year there appears a growing number of advancements in the realm of dental technology. These new technologies provide new techniques and approaches to providing all forms of oral health care. New restorative dentistry methods and advances in orthodontics, like clear aligners, can provide overall improved outcomes. Even with these new advances, it’s still necessary to choose which to use first. Clear aligners are one form of orthodontic treatment that makes it possible to receive more forms of restorative care in the process of orthodontic adjustment. Speak to your dentist to learn what kinds of treatments they offer and what they’d suggest.
