Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Archives for December 2018

Invisalign for Spacing Problems

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I had braces as a young teenager, but over the years I’ve had some spacing develop between some of my teeth. I don’t feel like I’d be comfortable with traditional braces at my age. In that case, would I be able to get Invisalign for this type of issue?

Andrea

Dear Andrea,

Two images: one of a woman placing her Invisalign aligner. The other, she's smling with it in.

It’s normal for our teeth to move some over the years. If your teeth and gums are healthy, you would be a fantastic candidate for Invisalign. This is a lovely way to straighten your smile without anyone even knowing you’re wearing anything. In your case, you can probably get Invisalign Express which works in even faster.

Aside from enabling you to repair your smile without anyone knowing and without a mouth full of metal, the Invisalign aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This will give you a sort of mini smile makeover.

Orthodontist Versus Dentist

It used to be that you’d have to see an orthodontist anytime you needed to straighten teeth. Now, it’s not necessary in most cases. Dentists can do Invisalign. Some even do braces. There are still times you would have to see an orthodontist when you have a very complicated case.

That’s not you, so you shouldn’t have any problems. You just need to find a dentist who provides Invisalign. I think you’ll find it a wonderful way to get the smile you had and loved.

One Word of Caution

While some movement of teeth is natural as the years go by, you want to make sure there isn’t another reason for your shifting. Specifically, you’ll want to make sure you don’t have any gum disease. If you see a dentist regularly and have good oral hygiene at home that shouldn’t be an issue.

Your dentist will do an exam ahead of time to make sure you’re gums are healthy enough. If not, you’ll just have to treat the gum disease and then you can get the Invisalign treatment.

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

Dentist Says Dental Implants are a Necessity

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I’d planned on getting dentures once my teeth are extracted. However, my dentist says he only does partial and no longer does complete dentures. Instead he’ll only offer me dental implants. Of course, they’re way, way more expensive. That doesn’t make any sense to me. I noticed on your site you offer both. Is my dentist just making a money grab?

Megan

Dear Megan,

dentures and dental implant side by side
A good dentist explains the pros and cons of your options.

It sounds like your dentist will only offer what he considers the ideal treatment. Dr. Noah’s treatment philosophy is not everyone can afford the ideal. Instead, he’ll tell them all the pros and cons of their decision and then leave it up to them.

It’s a shame your dentist just told you the ideal without explaining why. I’ll try to explain the difference here.

The Danger with Dentures: Facial Collapse

Before and After Facial Collapse

When your teeth are removed, it doesn’t just take the crowns of your teeth, but the roots underneath the gums as well. Your body recognizes this and (being the efficient living machine it is) decides to take the minerals in your jawbone which were used to help support your tooth roots and use them elsewhere in your body where it perceives they will be more useful.

The sad result of this is your jawbone begins to shrink. This is known as facial collapse. It means after 10 or more years, you will appear many years older than you really are. Even worse, you will no longer have enough jawbone left to support your dentures.

Dental Implants Prevents Facial Collapse

If you look at the image at the top of the page, I have a side by side of dentures on the left and a single dental implant on the right. Notice especially the dental implant. There is a root form that is implanted into your jawbone. Then, after a healing period, a porcelain crown will be placed on top.

It’s the prosthetic root which signals to your body, “Hey! There are still teeth here. We need our jawbone.”   This protects your jawbone from being resorbed.

Implant Overdentures Can Save You Money

implant overdentures
Implant Overdentures

While dental implants are more costly, implant overdentures can work using just four to six dental implants and then attaching the dentures to them. This has several benefits.

  • It much less expensive.
  • It will preserve your jawbone.
  • Your dentures will be secure, unlike regular dentures.

Again, I’m sorry your dentist didn’t explain this to you. I hope it helps in your decision making process.

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