Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Archives for July 2016

Metal or Ceramic Braces

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I need to get braces and am having a hard time deciding between metal or ceramic braces.  Can you help? I’ve heard they’re less visible, but can have some other problems.

Dave H. – Montana

Dave,

You’re right that the ceramic brackets are less visible than the metal brackets. However, they will still have the metal wire going through them, so I’m not sure how beneficial that is. Here are some of the downsides to ceramics and you can decide what you feel has more weight to it.

  • Ceramics are stronger than the enamel on your teeth, so if you bite down and hit one of the brackets, you risk chipping a tooth.
  • Some orthodontists charge more for ceramic brackets.
  • Ceramics are harder to remove.

There is an alternative if your goal is to have less visibility on your orthodontic treatment. Have you spoken with your dentist about Invisalign? These are completely invisible, even at a conversational distance.

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How Long Does Emergency Bonding Last?

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I had quite the fight with a flight of stairs and my teeth lost. Two of them were badly chipped. I went to see an emergency dentist and he put some kind of emergency bonding on them and told me to follow up with my regular dentist. The bonding he did seems to be holding up, even though it is a few days later.  How soon will I need to see my dentist before it wears out?

Caryn – MIchigan

Caryn,

I’m assuming  the emergency dentist used a composite bonding on your chipped teeth. It’s used in emergencies, but not soley. It’s a common treatment for chipped teeth and will last several years. He didn’t want you to follow up because it needed replacing right away.

Instead, it is to double check the tooth itself. When a tooth is traumatized, it doesn’t always give  symptoms right away. If the blood flow was cut off to the tooth it wouldn’t show up on x-rays. If this is the case, the tooth could be dead or dying, and it will eventually need a root canal. Unfortunately, the first sign this has happened is often pain or an abscess, though sometimes the person notices discoloration as well. Anytime you see an emergency dentist, he’ll refer you back to your regular office for a follow-up.

I hope this helps you. Do make sure you follow up.  It could save you a great deal of time and money, as well as unnecessary treatment.

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