Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Space Between Teeth

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I had my braces taken off about three days ago. For some reason, there is a gap opening up between my front two teeth. Do you know what is going on?

Lisa- Maine

Lisa,

I’m sure your dentist gave you a retainer to wear. It sounds to me like you may have neglected that part. Your teeth can begin to shift in just a couple of days.

You’ll need to get to your orthodontist as quickly as possible. He made need to make some adjustments to your retainer in order to get your teeth back in to position. If he can’t do that, he’ll have to make you a new one.

Once it is fixed, make sure you wear it religiously. I know you’re ready to be free from braces, but you’ll want the fix to last.

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

Teeth coming loose

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I’ve had braces, but after they came off, my teeth started moving and the gap between my front teeth opened back up.  I’ve been wearing tooth effects bands to help keep the gap closed, but today my teeth feel a little loose. Do you know what is going on or recommend anything?

Julie S. – Portland, OR

Julie,

I want you to stop using the teeth effects band right away. Hopefully, we can catch this in time to save your teeth. These bands are very dangerous. You could permanently lose your teeth.

You have a couple of options: You can get a removable retainer or a permanent retainer. Either one could easily be made by a dentist who does orthodontic work. That should help you with your gap.

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

Orthodontist says my bite will cost extra

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My orthodontist  says I have a deep bite, which means it will cost extra to fix. Are there really some bites that are harder to fix than others?

Morgan D. – Pennsylvania

Morgan,

While it is true that there are some bites that are a little more difficult to fix than others, your dentist is not being honest about your bite. A deep bite is one of the most common, and I might add easiest, bites to fix.

I’m a little concerned that your orthodontist is trying to charge you extra for a common bite. You’re best bet may be to find a dentist who also does orthodontics, at the very least to get a second opinion.

The most difficult bite to treat would be an open bite. That is when the upper front teeth don’t touch or even go over the lower front teeth. The usual culprits for causing this type of bite is unusual tongue position and thumb sucking. About 20% of patients with this kind of bite still have an open bite after treatment.

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

My daughter is in tears because she doesn’t want braces

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I have a sixteen year old daughter. We just moved to the states. The children here seem to all have perfect teeth. I know she should get braces, but she is very upset about it.  She said the children with braces are made fun of and she doesn’t want that to happen to her. If she’s happy with out straight teeth, should I make her get braces?

Maggie L. – San Diego, CA

Maggie,

Whether or not your daughter gets braces is a decision you’ll have to make together. It wouldn’t be fair of me to tell you what is the best decision for your daughter, especially since I haven’t examined her.  Maybe her teeth are fine, but just crooked. In that case it wouldn’t matter if she got braces. In other situations, maybe her teeth are out of alignment in a way that can lead to TMJ. That can cause serious problems and pain for her.

My suggestion is you see a dentist who does orthodontic work and they can examine her and see what will be best for her.  I do have some good news for you. If it is determined that she will need braces, she’s not stuck with those metal things that makes her afraid of being made fun of in school There are now “invisible braces”, such as Invisalign. No one will ever know she is wearing them. Her teeth can be straightened in secret.

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

Can orthofill cause me to lose my teeth?

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I’ve been using orthofill bands and have recently been reading all this stuff online about how it can make you lose your teeth. Is that true?

Becca L. – Germantown, TN

Becca,

There is some legitimate concern that rapid tooth movement, connected with orthofill, causing tooth loss. When your teeth move, they need time for the bone to reform around the roots of your teeth in order to keep them secure. Without that time, you risk your teeth coming loose and falling out.

I recommend you see an orthodontist to help fix your tooth gap, or at least to monitor you during your orthofill usage.  There are many ways to fix your teeth these days. You’re no longer limited to traditional wire and bracket braces. There are even invisable braces.

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

Implants before braces?

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I’m getting dental implants, but I am also getting braces.  Which one should I get first?

Samantha- Philadelphia.

Samantha,

It is always best to get your braces done first, because once your implants are placed they cannot be moved. They are permanently  placed into your jawbone and lack the ligament necessary to deal with movement.

The tricky part is making sure your braces movement doesn’t affect your dental implant placement. You’ll want to find an orthodontist who is comfortable doing both orthodontics and dental implants, because they’ll understand the unique procedures.

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

braces for headaches

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I have always been uncomfortable with my smile. My front teeth are kind of bucked and there are big gaps in my teeth. However, recently my teeth seemed to have shifted to the right a little. Since then I’ve been getting headaches.  Do I need braces to fix this?

Yvette- New Jersey

Yvette,

Your teeth being out of alignment can cause you to have headaches. I don’t know if that is why you are having headaches.  I would recommend you also see a doctor.  If you’ve been uncomfortable with your teeth anyway it wouldn’t hurt to have them fixed. You may find that you’ve gotten a smile you love and have gotten rid of your headaches.

I would go see either an orthodontist, or a dentist who does orthodontics. However, I would have your gums looked at first. I’m a little concerned about your teeth shifting. Sometimes that can be from gum disease. If that isn’t treated, you could loose your teeth.

If your dentist determines that your gums are fine, then I would go ahead with the orthodontic treatment. I would also ask your dentist about Invisalign. This can straighten your teeth in half the time as traditional braces.

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

 

I’ve Developed a Space after Braces

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I had my braces taken off just over two weeks ago and I’m already seeing a space developing between my two bottom front teeth. I haven’t worn my retainer 24/7 but I didn’t expect this to happen so fast. What should I do?

–  Anne in Oklahoma

Dear Anne,

It is extremely important that you wear your retainers religiously after the removal of braces until otherwise suggested by your orthodontist. The reason for this is that your teeth will automatically want to move back to their original position they were in before the braces were placed on them. You might not notice any change in tooth position but this will become more noticeable over time. The main reason you need to wear retainers is to keep your teeth in the position they were in after the removal of your braces. Teeth can easily shift in a day or two after the removal of braces. Elastic fibers in your gums that hold teeth in place become stretched with orthodontic treatment and it generally takes approximately a year for new elastic fibers to form and keep your teeth in their corrected position. This is why it’s so vital to wear your retainer as directed by your orthodontist.

We recommend that you visit your orthodontist as soon as possible. They may be able to tweak your lower retainer and close the space that’s developing. If this is not successful, you may need to have a new retainer made.

This blog brought to you by Dr. Noah of Region Dental.

Closing a gap with teeth effects bands

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I have a small gap between my teeth. I’ve heard that Teeth Effects bands can close these. What do you think as a dentist about them?

Donald B.- Alexander, AR

Donald,

Please be careful about this. These are nothing more than simple rubberbands. Instead of sliding your teeth together they will tip your teeth together, which will permanently damage your teeth. I would go with traditional braces, or maybe Invisalign. If you are otherwise happy with your teeth alignment, you might be able to find a local dentist who does dental bonding and can close the small gap that way.

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

What should I get done – dental implants or braces?

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I am looking to have some orthodontic work done and I’m trying to find out if it makes sense or not. Soon, my wisdom teeth will be extracted along with tooth #5 and tooth #12. These two additional teeth need to come out due to severe decay and a period of time where I drank too much soda without dental coverage. To be honest, I never really trusted my last dentist. So I was wondering if it is possible to still get braces with these teeth missing? Or do you think I need to get dental implants on each side where the teeth will be removed? Also, I had to have two crowns several years ago, one due to an injury and the other because the filling was large. Will that complicate the possibility of braces as well?

– Robert in Arizona

Robert,

The answer is yes, braces are still a possibility even if you do have crowns.

Although, you need to make sure your tooth decay problem is taken care of before having braces put on. Drinking soda and frequent snacking is harmful to your teeth, especially if you get braces. This is because the braces catch food which leads to more tooth decay. It is important to keep your braces pretty clean.

The tooth numbers you referenced, #5 and #12, are premolars so you don’t want to leave empty spaces there. Dental implants are an excellent solution to replace missing teeth. Or dental bridges may be another option that could work. If the teeth that surround those two teeth have suffered significant decay, bridges may be the better of the two options.

Hopefully that answers your questions.

This post is sponsored by Tulsa dentist Region Dental.

Related link: Invisalign