Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Is Smile Care Club a Good Option?

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I recently saw an advertisement for Smile Care Club on Facebook. It seemed like the people are really happy with the results they received, though they could be just paid actors. It is cheaper than Invisalign so I was wondering if it is as good a deal as I am hoping?

Drake

Dear Drake,

Smile Direct Club Ad

I’m glad you wrote. This company was founded in 2013 as an inexpensive alternative to Invisalign. Like Invisalign, they use clear aligners to straighten your teeth. It is cheaper than Invisalign. For some people, it works out. When it does, you can save a lot of money. However, there is a lot that can go wrong with their method.

Before Invislaign treatment, you have an examination to make certain your gums are healthy. If you have gum disease and have orthodontics done, it will exacerbate the condition and you risk losing your teeth. The way Smile Care Club is so much less expensive is they eliminate regular visits with the dentist. You will send in a picture and a dentist will look at it and “determine” whether or not you have gum disease. I have little confidence that they can tell this from an image.

Two other issues that require a dentist are overcrowding and possible problems. One of the major reasons people need orthodontics, to begin with, is overcrowding. That can mean you will need some teeth extracted or shaved to make room for the teeth to move into their correct position. How Smile Care Club handles this is by sending you to a dentist to whom they pay a straight fee. This dentist will not be invested in you or your case. Shaving teeth takes some skill and if it is not done right you will end up with a weird-looking smile. You want a dentist who cares about how your smile ends up.

If your teeth don’t cooperate, which happens more than you would think, a dentist can restructure the treatment. With Smile Care Club, you won’t even really know that it is not going according to plan because no one is regularly examining you.

As for the people praising them, that would be the people where it worked out, which does happen. However, Smile Care Club has a reputation for squelching negative reviews by only offering a refund if they do not say anything negative about the company.

In my opinion, while you could save money with Smile Care Club, you want to be careful because you could end up with a disaster.

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

Can Invisalign Help a Narrow Smile

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I needed braces when I was younger, but the dentist said I needed a palate expander. My parents decided that was too expensive and never went through with treatment. Now I’m an adult and still need orthodontics. I have heard Invisalign is a way for adults to straighten their teeth without anyone knowing. Will that work for me, as someone with a narrow smile or will I still need a palate expander?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

Upper Invisalign Aligner

You are too old for a palate expander at this point in your life. Those are designed to be used on children whose mouths are more malleable. Once you get past around twelve years old, these are no longer going to work. That doesn’t mean things are hopeless.

You can still have orthodontics as an adult. Invisalign could be a good choice for you. In the past, it only worked for the most ideal cases. These days, they can take on all but the most challenging bites.

When you have a narrow bite and there is no longer the option of using a palate expander, it often means you have to extract some teeth to make room for a correctly positioned bite. Fortunately, with computer-aided orthodontics, such as clear braces like Invisalign or Clear Correct, you can often see what your smile will look like before you go forward.

Giving Yourself a Mini-Smile Makeover with Invisalign

One hidden benefit of Invisalign is the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. Your dentist can provide you with a professional strength whitening gel. You can wear the gel in your Invisalign aligners for a set period of time each day.

You’ll simultaneously be able to straighten and whiten your teeth without anyone knowing.

Advantages of Invisalign

You’ll find there are quite a few advantages to Invisalign over traditional braces:

  • You’ll be able to straighten your teeth in half the time as traditional braces
  • No uncomfortable metal wires and brackets
  • No one will know you’re wearing orthodontics
  • Your final aligners can double as your retainer when your procedure is finished.

The key for you will be to get with a good orthodontist who can look at your case and make some recommendations specific to your bite.

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