Should You Get the Filling Before or After Your Braces?

As you might guess, it can be almost impossible to fill a cavity on a tooth that’s covered by braces. In some cases this is doable, but it’s certainly not an ideal situation.

If you plan to get braces, you need to consider how your other dental needs fit into the picture. Should you get a filling before or after orthodontic treatment?
Our team at Brackets Wires & Smiles can help you decide. In large part, the answer depends on what kind of treatment you’re having. If you only straighten your front teeth, then repairing a cavity on a back tooth is usually not a challenge.

When It Can’t Wait
Your orthodontic consultation will usually require diagnostic x-rays that pre-screen for cavities. It’s also recommended to have a basic checkup and cleaning before you begin treatment. This way, you can catch and address problems while they’re still small, rather than having them blow up into big ones while you’re in braces.

Logically, it’s ideal to get a filling before you begin orthodontic treatment. This is especially important if you’re going to be in braces for quite some time.

What Can Wait
Other types of dental restorations should only be placed after your teeth are realigned. A dental implant, for example, is a permanent fixture in your smile. When that heals into the bone, it’s not going anywhere. An implant doesn’t move like the rest of your teeth.

Before placing the artificial tooth, it’s best to straighten out the teeth around the space where the prosthetic tooth will be installed.

Other procedures that can wait until after braces include cosmetic treatments like:

• Teeth bleaching
• Dental veneers
• Crown lengthening

Talk with Dr. Farooq Ahmad if you’re interested in adjusting the alignment of your teeth. Before you begin any orthodontic treatment, he will let you know if you should consider getting restorative work completed and in what order.

Call our office in Alexandria today to schedule your consultation.