Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

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.

Will Invisalign Work for Me?

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I have two differing opinions about whether I should use Invisalign. My dentist said Invisalign will be fine for my case, but when I went to see an orthodontist about it he said traditional braces were a better option for me. I do want to fix my teeth but I’m not too keen on the whole metal mouth thing. Is my dentist or the orthodontist correct?

Mandie

Dear Mandie,

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

Please bear in mind, I don’t know your specific case. I can’t give you a definitive yes or no, but I can give you some guidance.

First, the orthodontist you went to see said that traditional braces would be better. What he didn’t say was that Invisalign wouldn’t work in your case. My experience has been that orthodontists are specialists who are protecting their specialty. As such, they tend to downplay Invisalign.

I’d ask yourself if your dentist has always been honest and trustworthy in his dealings with you. Has he been the type of dentist to try to talk you into procedures to get more cases or does he just give you your options and let you decide? Have you ever doubted him? Has he ever misled you? If he’s trustworthy and he says it will work for you. Then, you may just want to believe him and go with Invisalign.

If you have any doubts, you are perfectly within your rights to get a second opinion from another Invisalign dentist. Let them know up front they won’t be doing the procedure, you just want to know if you’re really a good candidate because of conflicting opinions.

If you do get a second opinion, you can double the input by going to a dentist who does both Invisalign and traditional braces in their office.

Invisalign and Teeth Whitening

While most patients know the benefits of Invisalign, such as comfort and invisibility, they may not be aware of one that is rarely advertised.

If you turn out to be a good candidate for Invisalign, the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. That means you can simultaneously whiten your teeth while you straighten them.

Your dentist will simply need to provide you with the gel and give you instructions as to how long to wear the gel. Instead of putting it in your whitening trays, you’ll put the gel in your aligners to the exact same effect.

Be aware that even professional teeth whitening will only whiten natural tooth structure. Therefore, if you have any dental fillings or any other dental work, those will remain the color they currently are.

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

Solution for a Huge Tooth Gap

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I have a tooth gap big enough to almost fit another tooth in. My dentist suggested Lumineers. I can’t imagine that scenario turning out well. What would I have? A center tooth like a cyclops? Eeww! I do want a solution though. What do you recommend? Please don’t say Lumineers. I might cry.

Luna

Dear Luna,

A woman placing her Invisaliagn aligners

Orthodontics no longer has to mean metal braces

I’m glad you have more sense than your dentist. You’re right that Lumineers would end up a disaster. With such a large gap you’d need one of the top cosmetic dentists in the world to make that look natural. I have a much better solution for you.

Commonly, a tooth gap is repaired using dental bonding. This closes the gap with a composite resin. However, again, the size of the gap you’re dealing with would make this challenging.

In your particular case, I’d suggest orthodontics. As an adult, you won’t want a mouth full of metal even if it means closing your tooth gap naturally. Instead, Invisalign will be a fantastic solution, but without being uncomfortable and unsightly. They have one of the highest patient satisfaction rates too.

Getting a Mini Smile Makeover with Invisalign

Many people find that by combining teeth whitening with Invisalign, they get a mini smile makeover of sorts. The Invisalign gives them beautiful straight teeth, while the teeth whitening takes years off their appearance and makes them a brilliant white color.

One thing to be aware of with teeth whitening is it will only whiten natural tooth structure. If you have other dental work, such as crowns or fillings, those won’t whiten from the solution. Instead, they’ll have to be redone in order to get them to match your new white color.

I hope this helps you. Again, I’m glad you sought out advice instead of just listening to your dentist’s disastrously bad suggestion.

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