Why Invisalign is more permanent than Veneers
There are many options for people wishing to improve their smile. The most well known being veneers, braces and Invisalign. Regular braces are notoriously painful and come with some less than appealing issues, from tooth and bracket breakage to tooth discolouration, and of course the laundry list of restricted foods making veneers and Invisalign the obvious popular choice of the three.
Veneers
One option to improve your smile is veneers, although veneers are a fairly expensive procedure. The cost depends on how many teeth will need to have a veneer to improve the overall look (almost all dentist/orthodontists charge per tooth). There are two main types of veneers; composite and dental porcelain (dental porcelain being the more expensive option). Veneers are generally painless (after a short recovery time), can substantially improve the look of your teeth and the result is instant.
The downside to veneers is that they are a purely aesthetic solution. Veneers are meant only to cover the dental imperfections and they don’t correct them. In addition to this veneers need to be applied to teeth that have had their surface enamel removed (an irreversible procedure). Veneers are also known to be susceptible to staining, wine and hot drinks such as tea need to be avoided with veneers as well as smoking. Finally, veneers are by no means permanent, in fact your dentist/orthodontist will recommend that the veneers be replaced every 10-15 years. That seems like an awful lot of expense for nothing more than a periodontal cover up.
Invisalign
Invisalign like regular braces can take anywhere from 6-18 months to correct most forms of malocclusion including (but not limited to), spacing, over and under bite and crowding.
Invisalign aligners are totally clear trays that custom fit over the teeth, they are virtually invisible, completely painless, can be easily removed for brushing, flossing and meals and cause zero damage to the teeth. Unlike veneers, Invisalign aligners accomplish an improved smile by correcting the dental issue that is causing the imperfection as opposed to covering them up with tooth damaging enamels, bonding and resin cements like veneers do. Invisalign uses an extremely gentle process that gradually shifts the teeth into their proper place. The results are entirely permanent, and in most cases treatment can be completed in under a year.