Invisalign and composite bonding both come up when people want a better-looking smile, but they do different jobs. One moves teeth, the other changes their shape. Knowing which is which helps you spend your money in the right place.
What Invisalign does
Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable aligners to move your teeth into a straighter position. It’s the right choice when the problem is alignment: crowding, gaps, teeth that stick out, or a bite that doesn’t meet properly. It changes where your teeth sit. It doesn’t change their shape or colour.
What composite bonding does
Composite bonding uses tooth-coloured resin, shaped directly onto your teeth in a single visit, to reshape and rebuild them. It works well for chipped, worn, uneven or slightly gappy teeth, and for improving the shape of individual teeth. It changes how your teeth look, but it doesn’t move them.
Results from our patients
Invisalign and composite bonding cases treated at Toothi in Edgware.
Photos of our own patients, shared with their consent. Individual results vary.
So which do you need?
A simple rule of thumb. If your teeth are the right shape but in the wrong place, you need Invisalign. If they’re in a reasonable position but chipped, short or uneven, you need bonding. If it’s both, and it very often is, you’ll usually get the best result by doing them in the right order.
Why the two work so well together
In a lot of smile makeovers we straighten with Invisalign first, then add a little composite bonding to tidy up the shape and edges once everything is in place. Straightening first means less bonding is needed, and the result looks more natural and lasts longer. Do it the other way round and the bonding can end up in the wrong position once the teeth move. That’s why it’s worth planning both together from the start.
Planning it properly at Toothi
At Toothi in Edgware, Dr Ali El-Kabengi plans straightening and cosmetic work together, so you get one plan rather than two separate treatments. Read more about Invisalign in Edgware at our practice. At your free consultation, the iTero 3D scan shows how your teeth would look after alignment, so you can decide whether bonding on top is worth it for you. No pressure either way.
Read more about Invisalign at Toothi and composite bonding, or compare bonding with veneers if you’re looking purely at cosmetic options.
If you’re local to North London, our Invisalign in Edgware page explains the consultation, the iTero 3D scan and your package options.
Not sure what your smile needs? Book a free consultation and 3D scan at Toothi, Edgware. We’re open seven days a week. Call 020 3148 2444 or book online.
