Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Archives for November 2013

Invisalign with missing teeth

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Is it possible to get Invisalign if you’ve got some missing teeth.  I had some baby teeth that never had adult teeth under them. Recently, I lost both of those. The rest of my teeth are a little bucked. Do I need to get dental implants for those missing teeth before I straighten them?

Nadide K. -San Francisco

Nadide,

You have a beautiful name. I’ve never seen that one before. You can have Invisalign even if you have missing teeth. Invisalign will full in the gaps. However, depending on what teeth they are you wouldn’t want to just push your other teeth over. You want your bite to look symetrical.

I would go see an Invisalign dentist. It doesn’t have to be an orthodontist. Many general dentists are certified to place Invisalign. They will tell you whether it would look OK to just move your teeth over. If not, there are temporary replacements you can put in while your teeth are being straightened. Then, after your treatment is completed, generally in less than a year, you can have a more permanent replacement (such as dental implants put in).

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Unnecessary Root Canal

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My son’s dentist said his canal is getting calcified and he needs a root canal. I’ve never heard of this and wondered if that is true?

Meagan L. – Conway, AR

Meagan,

Are you asking if a canal can get calcified or if that means it needs a root canal treatment?

If the former, then yes, a canal can get calcified. However, that does not mean it needs a root canal treatment. In fact, the only thing that would require that procedure is if the tooth is infected.

Did his dentist mention a tooth infection? If not, I would not go through with the treatment. I don’t know why his dentist would recommend an unnecessary procedure. Find out if the calcification was the only issue. If so, I think your son needs to get a different dentist.

It is sad that there are incompetent and even disreputable dentists. I don’t know which is the case for your son, but neither is a great scenario.

This blog is brought to you by Glenpool, OK Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.