Short answer: Probably not. But it’s getting better and better!
Invisalign has treated over 5 million patients and their research and development team takes the feedback of what works and what doesn’t to constantly change their movement guidelines. (The overall plan and outcome is still dictated by the orthodontist, so it’s important to go to someone who has experience using the product.) There are many types of tooth movement and bite change that we can get easily and consistently with Invisalign that even two years ago I would have thought were impossible!
There are some specific tooth movements and some bite correction that I don’t feel Invisalign treats as well as traditional braces, or expanders, or other devices. And on the flip side, there are a few bite corrections that I greatly PREFER to do with Invisalign because I think it works better! Another thing to consider, we can sometimes do a little treatment “first” – 3-4 braces or a bite corrector for a few months and THEN braces. So it’s not always “all-or-nothing” with Invisalign.
For many “average” orthodontic cases, I think that we can get a great result with either braces or Invisalign – assuming you do a great job using the product you chose! With braces, you need to keep your teeth clean and be careful with what you eat. With Invisalign, we need to have a good plan (that’s my job!) and you need to wear them 22 hours a day as instructed.
Many people are told that they’re “not a candidate for Invisalign.” That is a rare phrase in our office these days and I’d be happy to talk with you about your specific case to see what would work best for you. Give us a call at (707) 938 – 5255 to discuss!