Reviewed by Dr. Alan Baughman, DMD, MBA
Reading time: five minutes.
Nowadays, braces come in all shapes and forms. Clear aligners are a popular option that many people are choosing because they are practically invisible. Many patients wonder if they can get braces in any form if they have existing dental work, like dental crowns.
The short answer is yes, but it depends on a few factors.
In this blog, we will discuss how Sure Smile® clear aligners can work with your existing crowns and what you should consider before starting treatment.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Sure Smile
- Considering Dental Crowns
- Limitations and Challenges with Crowns
- Care and Maintenance During Treatment
- Clearwater Dentistry: Your Family Dentist in Greeley, CO
- FAQs about Sure Smile
Key Takeaway
Sure Smile is a good option for individuals with dental crowns. With careful planning and monitoring, aligners can be customized to work around crowns. They will allow you to straighten your teeth while maintaining the stability and integrity of your dental restorations.
Understanding Sure Smile
Sure Smile uses clear, removable aligners to gradually shift your teeth into their proper positions. These aligner trays are custom-made using digital scans of your teeth, ensuring a perfect fit for each stage of your treatment.
How Does Sure Smile Work?
- Digital scans: First, your dentist will take digital scans of your teeth. These scans will help create a customized treatment plan.
- Aligner trays: You will receive a set of aligner trays that you will wear, each one slightly adjusting your teeth until the desired alignment is achieved.
- Progression review: After a set duration, the dentist will review your progress and switch you to the next set of aligners.
Considering Dental Crowns
If you have dental crowns, it’s important to understand how they interact with Sure Smile treatment. Crowns are tooth-shaped caps that cover and restore decayed or damaged teeth. There are three primary types of crowns you might have:
1. Porcelain crowns
- Often used for front teeth
- Blend seamlessly with natural teeth
- Durable and aesthetically pleasing
2. Metal crowns
- Commonly used for back teeth
- Extremely durable, but less aesthetic
- Can withstand the pressures of chewing
3. Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns
- Combines the strength of metal with the aesthetics of porcelain
- Often used for back teeth where strength is needed
- The metal portion can sometimes show as a dark line near the gums
Existing Crowns and Sure Smile Compatibility
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Crown stability
- Sure Smile aligners are designed to move natural teeth. If you have crowns, your dentist will monitor the treatment closely to ensure that your crowns stay put.
- There’s a small risk that the pressure from aligners could dislodge a crown, but it’s rare.
2. Aligner fit
- The presence of crowns might slightly alter the fit of the aligners. However, with modern digital scans and personalized treatment plans, this is easily managed.
Front Teeth vs. Back Teeth
When considering Sure Smile, the location of your crown matters:
- Front teeth crowns: These are more visible and are often the focus of alignment. Sure Smile can still be an excellent option, but the aligner fit may require more precision to avoid any dislodging.
- Back teeth crowns: Less visible and generally stronger, crowns on molars are less likely to be affected by the pressure from Sure Smile aligners.
Limitations and Challenges with Crowns
Sure Smile is a suitable option for many people with crowns, but there are some challenges to consider:
- Extensive tooth movement: If your treatment plan involves extensive tooth movement, the aligners may exert more pressure on your crowns, requiring close monitoring by your dentist.
- Aligner fit issues: Slight adjustments may be needed to ensure that your aligners fit well over your crowns without compromising the treatment’s effectiveness.
Care and Maintenance During Treatment
Proper care is essential during your Sure Smile treatment, especially if you have crowns:
- Oral hygiene: Brush and floss regularly to maintain the health of your natural teeth and crowns.
- Check-ups: Regular dental visits are crucial to ensure that your crowns remain stable and that your Sure Smile treatment is progressing as planned.
- Avoid hard foods: While wearing aligners, avoid biting into hard or sticky foods that could damage your crowns.
Clearwater Dentistry: Your Family Dentist in Greeley, CO
If you’ve been dreaming of a straighter smile but are worried about your crowns, fear not! Sure Smile is an excellent option for many people with crowns. Just make sure you follow the advice of your dental professional, and take proper care of your teeth and dental crowns, and you’ll be well on your way to that perfect smile.
At Clearwater Dentistry, we offer personalized clear aligner treatment plans for our patients in Greeley, CO. Our experienced team will work closely with you to ensure that your crowns and teeth are well taken care of during the process.
If you are searching for ‘clear aligner therapy in Greeley, CO’ or the ‘best dentist near me’ we can help! Call (970) 515-3550 or complete the online inquiry form.
FAQs about Sure Smile
Sure Smile can be used for patients with missing teeth, but it depends on the treatment plan. Your dentist may recommend alternative solutions, such as temporary tooth replacements or bridges, to fill in gaps before or during treatment to ensure that the alignment of the surrounding teeth is accurate.
Sure Smile can be compatible with a dental bridge, but it may require a customized approach. A dental bridge is fixed, which means that the aligners cannot directly move the teeth involved in the bridge. Your dentist will create a tailored plan to ensure that the surrounding teeth can be aligned properly, taking the bridge into account.
Will Sure Smile treatment work with dental implants?
Yes, however, the dental implants themselves will not move during the process. Your dentist will assess the positioning of the implants and create a specific treatment plan that focuses on aligning your natural teeth while accommodating the implanted ones to achieve a balanced bite and aesthetic appearance.