Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Invisalign for Spacing Problems

by

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 Insisting I Get Braces

by

I’m at my wit’s end. I know I’ll never be able to have a perfect smile, but I was hoping for something at least not humiliating. I have crowns on my two front teeth. They’re over 15 years old and starting to show their wear. They’re stained and starting to crack. I just wanted to replace them and maybe whiten my teeth if I still had enough money. However, my dentist is insisting I get braces on my teeth before I get my crowns re-done. I just can’t afford that. Is it truly necessary? My teeth stick out a little, but not that much. Why was the last dentist able to do crowns?

Karen

Dear Karen,

Smiling young woman with braces

This is one of those situations which truly frustrates me. Some dentists will insist on only doing the ideal no matter what type of burden that places on the patient. This is unfair. It’s obvious your crowns need replacing and he’s putting you over a barrel.

As you said, your last dentist was able to do the crowns, why isn’t this one? I think in this case you may need to see a different dentist to get the treatment you want without it costing you a fortune. You can completely do without braces, or you could just get them later if circumstances changed.

Teeth Whitening and Crowns

If you’re serious about getting your teeth whitened, it will save you a lot of money to get them whitened before you have the crowns made. It’s possible to get your teeth whitened in one appointment these days with in-office teeth whitening. That will save you time.

If you wait to whiten your teeth until after your new crowns are made, they won’t match. The whitening gel only works on natural tooth structure, which means your teeth will whiten but not your crowns, causing you to need to purchase new ones unless you want mismatched teeth. Doing the tooth bleaching first prevents that.

Althernative Orthodontics for Adults

If somewhere in your future, you decide you do want orthodontics, you should know it no longer means you have to get uncomfortable wires and metal all over your teeth. These days, Invisalign is a great alternative to traditional braces.

They use clear plastic aligners which are invisible even at a conversational distance.

One other thing to note. Because the crowns are on your front teeth, make sure whatever dentist you settle on gives you all-porcelain crowns. They’ll look much more natural.

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

The Aftermath of Thumb Sucking

by

Can you help me? I have a teenager who is still sucking her thumb and now her teeth are protruding quite a bit. She’s starting high school soon and I want her to feel beautiful. But, they’re not just an overbite. They’re also kind of curved. What will fix this AND is there anything which can help her with this habit?

Tracy

Dear Tracy,

Smiling young woman with braces

I agree it is important for a young woman to feel confident and attractive. In fact, confidence is attractive. Because of the issues facing your daughter’s teeth, I’d suggest you see an orthodontist. She will need braces. These will fix both the problems of inclination and position simultaneously.

As for aiding her in giving up the thumb sucking, the first thing to do is not use punishments or shaming. You want her to grow up confident, not worried there’s something wrong with her. However, the thumbsucking has to stop or her teeth will continue to go out of alignment.

The easiest way is to use a product called Thum. It’s an unpleasant tasting liquid you can paint on her thumb. It should help her break the habit.

It’s important she’s careful about brushing her teeth during braces. Let her know ahead of time it’s harder. She’ll have to really work to get in there. It would help her to have a water pick too, which helps with getting food trapped around the bits of metal.

Too often we see white spots on teeth after braces. This is decalcification, which is the precursor to decay.

After Orthodontics

When her braces are done, she’ll be given a retainer to wear. It’s important she wears that or her teeth won’t stay in the proper position. You won’t be starting over, but you will have to do some repairs after shifting without that retainer.

With healthy teeth, there usually isn’t much a teenager needs to do cosmetically. However, some prefer to have their teeth whitened after they finally get their braces off, giving them a fresh look along with the straighter teeth.

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

Will a Dental Flipper Make My Teeth Look Straight?

by

I really don’t want braces. They take forever, hurt, and look horrible. Would a dental flipper work to just make them look straight?

Ben

Dear Ben,

A woman placing her Invisaliagn aligners

Orthodontics no longer has to mean metal braces

I like how you like to think out of the box. That shows a creative mind open to new ideas. Unfortunately, the dental flipper won’t be a viable solution for you. It’s meant as a temporary tooth replacement option. However, I do have two great solutions for you.

The first will do what you were hoping a dental flipper would accomplish. Snap-on Smile will fit snap over your teeth and make them appear straight. However, because they fit over your teeth they tend to make your smile look bulky. You also need to understand their limitations. These aren’t going to be a beautiful smile makeover like porcelain veneers. They’ll look okay. They can even look attractive. But, they won’t be stunning.

Invisalign—The Modern Alternative to Braces

You no longer have to wear traditional braces with their ugly, uncomfortable wires and brackets. Invisalign uses clear, comfortable aligners. You wear them in two-week intervals and switch them out for the next set. They’re nicknamed invisible braces because no one can tell you’re wearing them, even at a conversational distance.

Because they’re removable, you can eat whatever you want. Additionally, it makes it easier to brush and floss. You simply remove your aligners and brush and floss as you normally would.

A little-known side benefit of Invisalign is the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to get two procedures knocked out in one go. It’s like getting a mini smile makeover. You’ll look and feel great. You’ll also be surprised how much more confidence a nice smile brings you.

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

Orthodontist Said Fluorosis Means I Can’t Get Braces

by

I’m very sad. I grew up in Columbia and became a citizen of the United States about ten years ago. I’ve always wanted to straighten my teeth, but needed to get financially stable first. I am and went to my first orthodontist appointment today. It was very disappointing. He said I couldn’t have braces because I have severe fluorosis. Is there no way I can fix my teeth?

Luis G.

Dear Luis,

Someone smiling with braces

I’m sorry you’ve been given the impression you can’t get your teeth straightened. You can. There are two ways to go about this, but with either option, it sounds like you’ll need a different orthodontist, one who’s more up to date with techniques and procedures.

Orthodontic Options for Patients with Severe Fluorosis

If braces are what your heart is set on, there is a way to get that. Recent studies have shown that if the orthodontist does double etching, the bond will be strong enough for your braces to remain where they should for the duration of your treatment.

Many dentists have done dental bonding procedures on fluorosis patients with great success. If it works with the bonding it should work with braces.

There is actually a better option than braces for someone in your position. Have you looked into Invisalign? It straightens your teeth without any metal wires and brackets. It’s also completely invisible, so no one will know you’re straightening your teeth.

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

Why Do I Need a Retainer?

by

I just spent four years wearing braces. Do I really need a retainer?

Beth – Kansas City, MO

Beth,

There’s an important reason for retainers after braces. They’re designed to keep your teeth in their new position. If you don’t wear it, your teeth will shift quickly. Retainers are even more important if you’re still growing into adulthood because your growth causes your teeth to shift even more.

Another reason a retainer is necessary is because your new bite needs to stabilize and it may take some time for all of the tissues and the bone to reorganize. Shifting of the teeth occurs naturally so retainers are needed to help keep them in place. Relapse of the teeth is very high the first month after the removal of braces and it usually takes about one year for teeth to stabilize completely after orthodontic treatment. If you had spaces in between your teeth before braces then it takes longer to keep the dentition stable. The rule of thumb is you wear your retainers as long as you wore your braces. So if you wore braces for four years then you wear your retainer for four years.

The good news is not all orthodontic patients need to wear their retainers 24/7. Your orthodontist will recommend what retention plan is best for you. Patients with removable retainers are recommended to wear their retainers on a constant basis for at least the first six months and then usually just at night while they sleep for a few years. Yet some orthodontic patients need only wear their retainers for the first week on a constant basis then after that just at night. A lot of orthodontists apply fixed retainers that are cemented in place to stabilize the teeth which are usually worn for at least five years. This is commonly used for adolescents because it’s common for teenagers not to wear their appliance, plus there’s the possibility of wisdom teeth causing shifting of the teeth while trying to erupt.

Hope this helps. This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Noah.

Does Invisalign hurt as much as braces?

by

When my first daughter had braces they hurt her all the time. The inside of her mouth was constantly cut, no matter how much “wax” was put on the brackets. My youngest child now needs braces. I keep hearing about invisalign. Are they more comfortable than braces?

Irene F. – Nevada

Irene,

Your youngest daughter is lucky. Orthodontics have changed a lot. Invisalign is much more comfortable than traditional braces, as long if she is a good candidate. There are some things to take into consideration.

First, they are slightly more expensive than traditional braces. But, given your first child’s experience, I doubt you’d mind.

The second one is your youngest child’s responsibility level. Unlike braces, Invisalign is removable. So, if your child won’t keep them in, that could be a problem. The treatment only works if they’re kept in the prescribed amount of time.  There is an Invisalign Teen which has a few replacement aligners, but only you know your child.

I hope this helps.

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

Do it yourself braces

by

Will you help me?  My daughter saw a video on youtube by a teen who is doing her braces herself because her parents can’t afford braces.  We’ve been saving up to get our daughter invisalign teen, but just don’t have all the funds….yet.  I expect we will by next summer.  But, my daughter is impatient and I saw her watching the video and trying to do it herself.  I’m not dentist, but I think this is dangerous.  Will you tell me what I can say to her?

Worried Mom

Dear Worried Mom,

You’re right to be concerned.  I’ve seen the video you’re referring to (if we’re thinking of the same one). There are a couple of pretty serious things that can go wrong with this:

  • Dentists move teeth in two stages. This is true whether you use traditional braces or Invisalign. First we move the teeth and then we have a rest period for the bone to reform over the newly positioned tooth root.  With the do it yourself method, you’re tipping the teeth which doesn’t take the root into consideration.  Eventually, your teeth can come loose and even fall out.
  • The bands that the teens are using can actually cut off the blood supply in their gums. Even just a minor blood supply cut-off can change the color of her teeth. Fully cutting it off can lead to painful inflamation and infection.

I know it seems like forever to your daughter now, but waiting will not only give her a more beautiful smile, but do it in a safe way that doesn’t put her teeth or health at risk.

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

SmileCareClub

by

What can you tell me about the Smile Care Club?

Jessica B. – Flagstaff, AZ

Jessica,

The SmileCareClub is, in essence, a do it yourself Invisalign treatment. There are some differences.

  1. Your treatment is not monitered by a dentist, so if something goes wrong, you’re on your own.
  2. A dentist looks at pictures of your teeth, to see if you’re a good candidate. That might work to tell if there is a crowding issue. Unfortunately, he or she is not likely to be able to tell if you have gum disease. That could be a serious issue, because if you have gum disease, the shifting of your teeth could cause them to come loose.
  3. With Invisalign you switch aligners every two weeks, with SmileCareClub every four.

It possible this will work. I would just be concerned about the possibilities of things going wrong and not having an orthodontist or dentist who does orthodontic work to keep his or her eye on things.

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

braces for headaches

by

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.