Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Orthodontist says my bite will cost extra

by

My orthodontist  says I have a deep bite, which means it will cost extra to fix. Are there really some bites that are harder to fix than others?

Morgan D. – Pennsylvania

Morgan,

While it is true that there are some bites that are a little more difficult to fix than others, your dentist is not being honest about your bite. A deep bite is one of the most common, and I might add easiest, bites to fix.

I’m a little concerned that your orthodontist is trying to charge you extra for a common bite. You’re best bet may be to find a dentist who also does orthodontics, at the very least to get a second opinion.

The most difficult bite to treat would be an open bite. That is when the upper front teeth don’t touch or even go over the lower front teeth. The usual culprits for causing this type of bite is unusual tongue position and thumb sucking. About 20% of patients with this kind of bite still have an open bite after treatment.

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

I swallowed my crown

by

Is it an emergency if I’ve swallowed my dental crown?

Steve O. – Little Rock, AR

Steve,

Let me put your mind at ease, you’re perfectly safe. Swallowing your dental crown, isn’t either a medical or dental emergency. You will need a new crown, and you’ll want to see if your dentist can fit you in the next day. Don’t wait too long to call, because your teeth do begin to shift when there is a space. It could change your whole bite.

As far as the medical side, well you know the saying…”This too shall pass.” You shouldn’t have any trouble getting rid of the crown.

You will want to investigate why the crown fell off, because the bonding process is pretty strong. If your crown is falling off, something is wrong.

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

I can’t afford a crown

by

I don’t know what to do. I’m in tears. I need a dental crown, but I just can’t afford it. I hate being poor. I’ve been looking for a job. In the meantime I’m working at a McDonalds. It covers our bills, but barely and there is certainly no room for anything else.  What do I do?

Deanna S. – Little Rock, AR

Deanna,

I’m sorry for what you’re going through. Believe me, I’ve been there. I’m assuming you said you cannot afford the crown because your dentist is expecting you to pay the whole thing up front?

Most dentists are more compassionate than that and would help you with a payment plan that fits your budget. There are sow and even no interest payment plans that are available. If your dentist is unwilling to work with you, I’d do a search for an “affordable dentist“. They’re generally willing to do payments.

You also have the option of getting something temporary, like a dental flipper, while you save up for a crown.

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

Tea and Invisalign

by

I’m thinking of getting invisalign, but have heard you can’t drink tea with it. I’m a native of the U.K. and don’t much enjoy the idea of six months without tea. Is this accurate?

Zoe K. – San Diego

Zoe,

You can drink tea during your treatment, but you won’t want to do it while your aligners are in. The reason for that is two-fold.

First, tea is hot (at least the type of tea I’m assuming a Brit will be asking about). The heat is likely to warp your aligners. This will negatively impact your Invisalign treatment plan and could cause it to take longer.

Second, the tea will pool in the aligners. When that happens, the acid from the tea, and possibly sugar, will eat away at your dentin. This will lead to tooth decay.

This doesn’t mean you cannot drink tea at all. You take your aligners out for each meal. I’d have a cup of tea then.

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

Trauma from baby tooth knocked out?

by

We were at a playgroup when my daughter’s baby tooth got knocked out. I thought she was fine, but later she started complaining about it.  There is some swelling. What do I do?

Alicia K. – Ft. Lauderdale

Alicia,

Generally, when a baby tooth is knocked out it really isn’t a big deal, but sometimes you get a case where there is some underlying damage to the tooth underneath. In these cases she needs to be seen. The sooner the better.

It’s very likely your dentist has a system for dental emergencies and this would qualify.  Get your daughter in and let him take a look. If there is anything that can be done to save the adult tooth, he’ll know.

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

My daughter is in tears because she doesn’t want braces

by

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.

Is my Invisalign Fake?

by

I’ve heard there are knock-off Invisalign going around. How can I tell if that’s what I got?

Andrea- Portsmouth, VA

Andrea,

There’s nothing funny about a knock-off. In fact, it is theivery. There are some off brand companies around, but there is an easy way to know if you’ve got the right thing. Look on your aligner. There should be a stamp on it indicating it is Invisalign with their trademark.

There will also be some numbers and letters. They represent your patient ID number. It should also tell you whether it is for your top or bottom teeth.

If it turns out you have been given an off brand, I would confront your dentist about it. You paid for Invisalign and that is what you should get.

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

 

Invisalign or porcelain veneers

by

I have a crooked front tooth. Basically, I see two options for me: Invisalign or Porcelain Veneers. I’m trying to figure out if one of the options is better than the other. Price isn’t a factor.

Melissa M. – Moore, OK

Melissa,

Really, the answer to that question depends on your personality and goals. If you’re happy with your teeth, except for the fact that they’re crooked, than I would go with Invisalign. Then you’d have nothing, but your natural teeth and they’d be just the way you wanted them.

If there is some other things about your teeth that you’d like to change, for instance, you don’t like their shape,  then I would get porcelain veneers. They can change, the shape, size, and color of your teeth.

You could also whiten your teeth during Invisalign treatment, using your aligners as whitening trays.

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

Fitting in with Invisalign

by

Americans are obsessed with their teeth. I’m from a country where it is not as much a priority. However, I am moving to the United States and realize that I need to do something about my teeth to fit in. They are healthy, but they are quite crooked. Any recommendations? I can’t wear braces, becasue my employment is quite public and I don’t think that would fit with the image my company wants to portray.

Abhay- India

Abhay,

I’m sure our country would welcome you regardless of the state of your mouth, but it is nice you’re trying to blend with the culture of your new home. If the only problem is they are crooked, you may be a good candidate for Invisalign. These straighten your teeth and are so “invisible” that no one will even know that you are wearing them. They have a very high satisfaction rate and generally work in half the time as more traditional braces.

I will mention one other thing. Americans tend to whiten their teeth pretty fanatically. I know a lot of Indian spices are pretty good at staining your teeth. You may ask your dentist if he’ll allow your aligners from Invisalign to double as whitening trays. That way you can knock out two birds with one stone.

Welcome to the United States.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Give me wine or give me death

by

I need a plan.  I got invisalign to straighten my teeth. I was excited about the idea that I could fix my teeth invisibly. I was excited about the fact that it works in half the time of braces too.  I didn’t realize that it would severly limit my wine intake.  I feel like I am dying. What will happen if I drink wine during my treatment? Will it truly ruin everything?  My dentist acts like I will be ending all chance for world peace if I consume.  Give me something to take back to him that contradicts this horrid dogma.

Brandon K. – Kansas City, MO

Brandon,

Let’s see if we can’t find a way to restore balance to the world.  You know that for treatment to be effective you need to keep your aligners on for the full amount of time—ideally about 22 hours a day. So, that leaves a full two hours for eating, drinking, etc…. I’m assuming you are in need of a plan to drink throughout the day and not just at meal time. So, let’s get to work.

You cannot drink any type of red wine (or other colored beverages) while you are wearing the aligners. It will stain them and then all hopes of invisible treatment will be out the window. Therefore, limit your red wine to when your aligners are out. As to white wine, it will not stain your aligners so you can drink it while they are in. However, I have some precautions for you to take. It is inevitable that at least some wine will get in your aligners. You don’t want to let the wine pool there for any length of time. The alcohol will eat away the enamel from your teeth. So, I suggest you excuse yourself after partaking and rinse off both your teeth as well as the aligners.

Invisalign has one of the highest satisfaction rates in dentistry. I’m confident if you follow the guidelines, you will be thrilled with your results. You’ll also get to indulge in wine, so you should be equally happy with life.

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