“Can an orthodontist provide Invisalign?”

Orthodontists are the best group to provide Invisalign, particularly in complicated cases.

Absolutely!! Almost all orthodontists have incorporated clear aligner technology into their practices. It works well!

yes

Yes! Actually, orthodontists are the professionals who are specifically trained to move teeth, so they are the best people to provide you with your Invisalign treatment. Think of it this way, all the orthodontist does every day for work is move teeth. Some do more Invisalign than others, but the physics and biomechanical principals all still apply. Many general dentists also provide Invisalign, but they also do fillings and crowns and implants and maybe even the occasional denture or root canal, so they may not be getting the same extensive training and "practice" that a specialist would. If a general dentist does your Invisalign, just make sure they are doing it with the same expertise as the specialist. And this may sound self serving, but I definitely do not recommend do-it-yourself treatment where you mail in your impressions. Your orthodontist and your dentist normally work as a team, and they are both trained to look for warning signs or fix problems as they arise while you are moving teeth. If you do at-home treatment and you do not catch those problems early, you could be setting yourself up to lose teeth (most likely front teeth), and you are essentially practicing dentistry without a license, so will have no one to blame but yourself. Please see a professional!

Yes

Yes

Orthodontists are the experts and specialists in tooth movement. So yes Orthodontist are better than general dentists to help you with Invisalign. With that said, some orthodontists do a lot more Invisalign than other orthodontists. Our office is in the top 1% in the country for providing Invisalign treatment. This matters because our extra experience can help the patient more. You can check directly on the Invisalign website and find an orthodontist with experience. I would suggest using a 10 mile or 20 mile radius because there is a large difference in each doctor. I have seen some patients went to a consultation elsewhere and they were told that they could not do Invisalign. When they came to us it was very easy for me to treat them with Invisalign.

An orthodontist is the best place to go for Invisalign treatment. While Invisalign is a great tool for treatment it is still just a tool. Diagnosis and treatment planning are best done by an orthodontist.

In my biased opinion, orthodontist should be consulted about the best method or technique to correct dental/facial disharmony. There is a lot more than alignment of teeth to consider for long term improvement. You have the right to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion. The problem is that many dentist provide Invisalign as the only method and it works with variable results depending on many factors. Experienced orthodontists are in the best position to recognize and explain the differences and potential outcome of Invisalign treatment. No system is perfect and people respond differently. I think you will know more and make a better decision if you consult an orthodontist regardless of who does the actual treatment. I like to help general dentists with their Invisalign case if problems aren't resolving. A dentist and orthodontist working together is always a good match and best for you.