Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Orthodontics for adults

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I’m 42 years old with crooked teeth. I’m determined to do something about it in 2016, but don’t want to wear teen aged braces with mouth full of metal.  Tell me there is something else for adults?

Leslie M. – Connecticut

Leslie,

You are in luck!  You can have straight teeth in 2016 and not only do it without metal braces, but do it without anyone ever knowing. There are tons of advances in orthodontics.

Invisalign uses invisible aligners.  Not everyone is a candidate, so you’ll have to be checked to see if they’ll work for you.

If you’re serious about a smile makeover, you’ll want to look into porcelain veneers. These won’t straighten your teeth, but they can make them appear straight. The big benefit about these is they can change the shape, size, and color of you teeth. You can get a completely new smile.

Good luck with your new smile in the new year!

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

I was so excited about redoing my smile…until I saw the cost.

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Can you explain why getting smile makeover is so expensive.  I had ramped myself up to get one and was so excited, because I’ve always hated my teeth. But when I realized the prize it was heartbreaking. Is there an affordable way to redo a smile?

Tina P. – Michigan

Tina,

I’m guessing you priced porcelain veneers. Yes, they can be costly. The materials alone are expensive and they require a high level of training and skill. Plus, there are lab fees. However, there are other ways to give yourself a smile makeover that are more affordable.

You didn’t mention what it is about your teeth that bother you, but I have a few procedures that I can recommend, which cost less that porcelain veneers.

  • Teeth Whitening: This procedure alone can make your smile look years younger
  • Invisalign: The allows patients to straighten their teeth without anyone knowing. No bulky, metal braces.
  • Dental Bonding: This works great for things like chipped teeth or small gaps.

All of those are affordable. I hope you find something that works for you.

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

Do it yourself braces

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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.

Does invisalign teen work the same way as invisalign for adults?

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I was thinking of getting my daughter Invisalign because I was so happy with mine.  She’s 14. I know they have invisalign teen. Do they work the same?

Jenna K. – Orlando, FL

Jenna,

I’m glad to know how much you enjoyed your Invisalign treatment. It has a very high patient satisfaction rate.  Invisalign teen works very much like the adult version.  There are two big differences.

The first is that unlike the adult version,  Invisalign teen can work on studentst that have erupting or erupted permanent dentition. An orthodontist can tell you if she is a good candidate. The second big difference is extra aligners. Because invisalign realizes that teenagers aren’t always as responsible as adults. Because of that, they do offer a few extra aligners in case your darling misplaces one or two.

It is still very important that they wear the aligners for the prescribed amount of time. Otherwise the treatment won’t work. If you think she’ll cooperate with that, then Invisalign Teen is a great option.

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.

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.

 

What Can I Do about My Crooked Front Tooth?

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I am having a challenging time locating a good dentist who can straighten my front tooth. I keep hearing different things about how to solve my problem and I don’t know what to believe.
Here’s my situation: The tooth next to my front tooth on the left is very crooked and looks bad. Are braces my only option, or will Invisalign work? It was also suggested that my crooked tooth be pulled. What do you think?
– Brian from Texas

Brian,
It’s best to avoid pulling your crooked tooth, even if a dentist believes this would solve your problem. You don’t want to pull a tooth because your smile won’t look right if you have an uneven amount of teeth showing. You want your smile to be symmetrical and you can’t have that with five front teeth instead of six.
If you’re an adult and your teeth are crooked, Invisalign is a good solution to straighten your teeth. Another option is to have a cosmetic dentist create porcelain veneers for you. Both of these options would be appropriate.

For more information about Dr. Noah, please see his Region Dental website.

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.

No crowns unless I get braces?

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Have you ever heard of a dentist refusing to place crowns without having braces done? Here’s what is going on. I went into my dentist today to to talk to him about replacing my old crowns that are on my front teeth. It has been about 15 years or so since they were originally put on and he told me that I need to have full orthodontic braces first. Pretty much I was told that I won’t be able to get new crowns if I don’t do the braces first. The problem is that I cannot afford to have braces and all I really want is to have the crowns replaced. I would consider his other recommendations at a later time, just not right now. I really don’t think my front teeth are that crooked, so I don’t know what to do. Can you provide any insight?

– Tom from Missouri

Tom,

It is not a good sign when a dentist gives you an ultimatum or places restrictions on what treatment they will provide. It sounds like he is only willing to do the perfect scenario and doesn’t seem to understand your budget concerns. Although a treatment may not always be ideal, doing something is most likely better than nothing if you can afford it.

It is possible to have the crowns fixed without having to do the braces. You could wait until you can afford the orthodontics or you could bypass it altogether if you choose.

Take a look around to see if you can find a dentist that is a bit more understanding about your budgetary constraints and will work with you.

For your front teeth it would be best to have all-porcelain crowns done. This is because if you have porcelain fused to metal crowns, then you run the risk of them ending up looking fake. Also, you may have a dark line that is visible along your gum line. But make sure that the dentist you choose is experienced and seems comfortable doing porcelain crowns. You don’t want to push a dentist out of their comfort zone because you may not end up with the results you want.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

This post is sponsored by Tulsa dentist Region Dental.

Related link: Invisalign

Crooked teeth from thumb sucking

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I sucked my thumb until I was 13 years old and my teeth are misaligned. My top teeth are curved upward but it’s not the typical overbite that you would expect. Do you know what I can do to have my teeth corrected? I’m ready to stop hiding my smile.

– Janie in Virginia

Janie,

Misalignment of your teeth is not too surprising having sucked your thumb for such a long period of time. An orthodontist will be able to help you straighten your teeth. Based on how you described the shape of your teeth, it sounds like they are not only out of position but they have an inaccurate inclination. Braces will correct both of your problems.

If you are the parent of a thumb sucker, the best advice is to not make too big of a deal out of the behavior. If you put too much pressure on your child and make too big of an issue of things, it may create a complex in your child and reinforce it. I really wouldn’t worry too much about it until your child is school age. There is no long-term, permanent damage that is done before the age of seven. This is because that is when a child typically loses their baby teeth. If you play it cool, when your child begins going to school they may experience peer pressure from their classmates and friends to stop the behavior.

The reason Janice’s teeth suffered from thumb sucking is due to the fact that she sucked her thumb until she was 13 years old. This means her permanent teeth had fully come in. If your child is over the age of seven and not showing signs of quitting, then you may need to step in. Be sure to use positive reinforcement versus causing shame or embarrassment. Again, you don’t want to create an emotional complex in your child or your plan could backfire. You will have the most success if the child wants to quit. Although, there are aids that you can find at the drug store to help break the habit. The products are bitter to the taste and can be painted on the thumb causing an unpleasant reminder of the habit. Again, be encouraging in your approach.

This post is sponsored by Tulsa dentist Region Dental.

Related links: Invisalign