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.

Dentist Insisting I Get Braces

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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

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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.

Gums Over Crowns Turning Gray

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I have two crowns on my front teeth. They’ve never looked quite natural, but now I’m worried there’s something seriously wrong. The gums above the crowns have developed a dark gray line. Is there something dangerous going on?

Gina

Dear Gina,

all porcelain crowns versus metal based crowns

First, let me reassure you. There is nothing dangerous going on. What you’re dealing with is a cosmetic issue as a result of the type of crown you received. It sounds to me like you were given a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. These metal-based crowns are more opaque than the all-porcelain crowns because they need the added opaqueness to cover the metal base. The gray line your seeing is also a result of that type of crown. It happens to all metal-based crowns.

The only solution is to replace them. I wouldn’t go to the same dentist. Truthfully, I’m surprised your dentist placed those on your front teeth. For aesthetic reasons, a responsible dentist would only place all-porcelain crowns on your front teeth. These are much more natural looking as you can see from the comparison images above.

Considerations with Your Dental Crown

Check the work of the dentist you’re considering before going through with the procedure. You want your crowns to look natural and seeing examples of work the dentist has done in the past will let you know if he or she is capable of providing that.

Once the crowns are made, the color is permanent. If you are interested in having your teeth whitened, you’ll want to do it before you replace your dental crowns. That way, when the crowns are made they will match the color you’d want them to be permanently.

This blog is brought to you by Glenpool 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.

DIY Braces

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I’ve got a group of girls in my elementary school class who are doing DIY braces with rubber bands. I know this has to be dangerous, but when I told them that they said that “I didn’t know because I’m not a dentist and this was on YouTube with lots of people who’ve done it.” As you’re a dentist. Can you let these girls know what they’re getting themselves into?

Miss Ketchum

Dear Miss Ketchum,

Someone smiling with braces

You sound like a compassionate teacher. I’m glad you’re looking out for these girls. I’m sure their parents will be too. The first thing I’d do, though, is let their parents know what they’re doing at school. It’s very likely they’re hiding this from their folks and this will give them a heads up so they’ll know to keep an eye out for it.

Now, onto what you should show the gals. I’m sure you’ve told them this many times, but you cannot believe everything you see on the internet. I’ve seen the video they’re talking about. There are actually several of them and, for a while, they were very trendy. In this case, listening to whoever uploaded these to YouTube could actually cost them their teeth.

When you get braces from a dentist, it’s a carefully planned treatment. First, the teeth are gently edged into a new position. Then some time is given for the bone to reform around the roots of their teeth. With the rubber bands, their teeth are being tipped inward. While it will bring their teeth closer together, it doesn’t do it properly. However, the way it does do it does not allow the bone to reform properly around them. The danger of that is your teeth don’t have any support. They will become loose. If you continue on with the bands, they will eventually fall out.

There have even been a few cases where some young people slept in their bands and they ended up with the rubber bands worming their way under their gums. The only way keep them from developing a severe infection was to have surgery to dig them out.

Alternatives to DIY Orthodontics

They don’t have to shift their teeth themselves. There are lots of fun options in orthodontics.

  • Traditional Braces

Getting traditional braces can give you an opportunity to express your personality. You can get them different colors or even a mixture of colors. You can even switch your colors at some appointments, so you get the opportunity to mix it up a bit.

  • Invisible Braces

Maybe you’re the type who doesn’t want anyone to know you need braces. In that case, Invisalign is your better option. Instead of the flash of colored braces, you can have invisible ones. Seriously. No one can tell you’re wearing them even at a conversational distance.

These have an added benefit of allowing you to whiten your teeth at the same time you’re straightening them. So, if you gals happen to be big coffee drinkers (shame on you!) then you can get rid of those unsightly coffee stains.

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.

Is There an Inexpensive Smile Makeover?

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I’ve always wanted a smile makeover. Every year I think I’ll get one with my tax refund, but every year something else seems to break down, whether it’s my car or an appliance at home, to commandeer the money. It’s equally disappointing every year. Is there an inexpensive smile makeover?

Alice V. – New Hampshire

Alice,

I wouldn’t say it’s a complete smile makeover, but teeth whitening is the most inexpensive way to make a significant difference in the cosmetics of your smile. It’s affordable with most budgets and takes years off your appearance.

Another benefit is it doesn’t require an expensive cosmetic dentist. Your family dentist can perform the service quite well for you. Your biggest decision will be whether you want in-office or take-home teeth whitening.

With in-office, everything is done in just one appointment. Your teeth will get as white as they’re capable. Often, the color will settle just a little after the first week, but they will still be extraordinarily white.

Take-home whitening is different. You’ll wear the whitening gel for a minimum of 20 minutes each day, using custom made trays. Often that is repeated for a week or more depending on the level of whitening you’re hoping to obtain,

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

Can I Whiten My Dental Crown?

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My dental crown is showing it’s age, like my regular teeth. If I whiten my teeth, can I also whiten my crown?  Will I need a cosmetic dentist or a general one?

Natalie – Wisconsin

Natalie,

Despite how it sounds, there isn’t a cosmetic dentistry specialty, so every cosmetic dentist is just a general dentist who also does cosmetic procedures. Teeth whitening is an easy procedure, so any dentist can do it. However, while it will whiten your teeth, it will not whiten your dental crown.

Here is where someone who has more training in cosmetic procedures will come in handy. My suggestion is for you to whiten your teeth first. then, get a porcelain crown done to match your new bright, white teeth.

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

Can I use old invisalign aligners for teeth whitening trays?

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I was cleaning out my dresser and found an old pair of invisalign aligners. Can I use those as whitneing trays and just order the whitening gel? It would save me a ton of money?

Jillian K. – Ohio

Jillian,

Well, do you know which pair of aligners this is? If it’s anything but the last pair, you could shift your teeth and do your bite serious harm. Plus, they’re old, but how old? There’s a lot of information I don’t have here.

While some people whiten their teeth with invisalign aligners, that is always done during their Invisalign treatment, not consecutively.

If I were in your position, I would just talk to my dentist about it.  Let him look at the aligners and make sure they’re the right pair AND in suitable condition. It’s possible, but I wouldn’t do it without checking it with your dentist first.

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