Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Can I Charge George Lucas for My Dental Appointment?

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I was having fun with my son playing Jedi versus Sith. Not only did my son, the Sith, win but he seemed to use the force. the circle that is at the top of the hilt flew off and hit me in the mouth. I was bleeding, which isn’t unexpected from a mouth injury, but this morning I noticed the tooth feels loose. I keep wiggling it to be certain and I’m pretty certain. Because this injury is due to a defect in the lightsaber, can I charge the company? Or possibly George Lucas? I don’t have insurance or a dentist, but I’m assuming I have to see one.

Melissa

Dear Melissa,

Woman covering her mouth with her hand

A loose adult tooth requires an emergency dentist

First, let me say you sound like a fun mom! I know lots of little boys who would enjoy a good Jedi battle with a parent. As far as charging the company or George Lucas, you could write to them and let them know what happened and ask them to cover your dental expenses which resulted from the accident. However, unless you do a Jedi mind trick, the dentist won’t bill them for the services without written consent.

Next, I’m going to say please stop wiggling the tooth immediately. There are ligaments which aide in holding your tooth in place. If you keep stretching them, they may snap. Your tooth will need to be stabilized. This would be considered a dental emergency.

As you don’t have a dentist, my suggestion is to do an internet search using the term “emergency dentist“. These are general dentists who are willing to see non-established patients in the case of emergencies such as yours. They’ll stabilize your tooth, but also do x-rays to make sure there’s no damage to the pulp of the tooth. If there is, a root canal treatment will be necessary.

Who Pays for Emergency Dental Appointments?

Unless they’re a minor, with rare exceptions, the only person a dentist can charge is the person receiving the service. One exception would be if someone signed a statement saying they’ll cover the bill.

If someone is truly responsible for your accident but refusing to take care of it, your only real option is to take them to small claims court.

I don’t think you’ll get very far with George Lucas, Ltd. Though, you’re obviously welcome to write to him and try.

There are affordable dentists out there. They’re very likely willing to allow you to make payments in order to get the treatment you need then pay it out slowly.

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

Will a Dental Flipper Make My Teeth Look Straight?

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I really don’t want braces. They take forever, hurt, and look horrible. Would a dental flipper work to just make them look straight?

Ben

Dear Ben,

A woman placing her Invisaliagn aligners

Orthodontics no longer has to mean metal braces

I like how you like to think out of the box. That shows a creative mind open to new ideas. Unfortunately, the dental flipper won’t be a viable solution for you. It’s meant as a temporary tooth replacement option. However, I do have two great solutions for you.

The first will do what you were hoping a dental flipper would accomplish. Snap-on Smile will fit snap over your teeth and make them appear straight. However, because they fit over your teeth they tend to make your smile look bulky. You also need to understand their limitations. These aren’t going to be a beautiful smile makeover like porcelain veneers. They’ll look okay. They can even look attractive. But, they won’t be stunning.

Invisalign—The Modern Alternative to Braces

You no longer have to wear traditional braces with their ugly, uncomfortable wires and brackets. Invisalign uses clear, comfortable aligners. You wear them in two-week intervals and switch them out for the next set. They’re nicknamed invisible braces because no one can tell you’re wearing them, even at a conversational distance.

Because they’re removable, you can eat whatever you want. Additionally, it makes it easier to brush and floss. You simply remove your aligners and brush and floss as you normally would.

A little-known side benefit of Invisalign is the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to get two procedures knocked out in one go. It’s like getting a mini smile makeover. You’ll look and feel great. You’ll also be surprised how much more confidence a nice smile brings you.

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

Dentist Insists on Expensive Treatments

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I am not sure what to do. My dentist is insisting I get a white filling. He says he’s what’s called a mercury-free dentist and that the silver fillings aren’t good for my teeth. The problem is, my insurance doesn’t cover the white fillings. It just covers the silver ones. I can’t afford the others. What do you recommend?

Pam

Dear Pam,

Left: silver filling Right: White filling

An affordable dentist doesn’t insist on expensive procedures

So there are a few things at play here. Many dentists have switched to a mercury-free practice. Some of it is because of patient demand and some of it is because of the strong belief that the silver fillings are bad for both you or your teeth.

While the American Dental Association (ADA) has declared the silver fillings safe, that doesn’t mean they’re the best fillings for your teeth. What your dentist means by them being bad for your teeth is that the amalgam fillings actually weaken your tooth structure. The white fillings will strengthen them.

I realize your insurance doesn’t cover those. While it’s unfair of a dentist to insist on a procedure a patient can’t afford, even if it’s a superior treatment. If he’s a mercury-free dentist, he doesn’t even offer the other filling. He wouldn’t be able to provide it for you.

You have a couple of options here. First, you can stay with this dentist and ask him to bill your insurance for the silver filling and just let you pay him the difference if that’s possible for you. Your dentist may even be willing to allow you to pay out the difference.

Finding an Affordable Dentist

If your dentist is unwilling to work with you in any way, then you’ll need to find a different dentist. There are affordable dentists out there.

I’d simply do an internet search using the term affordable dentist and make a list of several of the practitioners whose names pop up. Be sure to check their reviews to make sure they have a pleasant chairside manner. It’s no fun to have a dentist who’s a complete jerk.

Also, be careful not to confuse cheap care with affordable care. A cheap dentist is significantly lower in price than his peers. But, that ‘s usually because he’s either bad at his job or he cuts corners in order to make up profits.

Both of those things end up hurting the patient. Usually, it results in either an infection or a failed procedure which has to be redone, costing double or even triple.

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

Can I Use Antibiotics for a Tooth Infection?

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I have a pimple on my gums and my tooth hurts. I looked it up online and it sounds like I have a tooth infection. I don’t have dental insurance and don’t make much money. I do have some antibiotics I’d never taken for a sinus infection that went away on its own. Can I just take those for the tooth infection?

Carl

Dear Carl,

A man holding the side of his jaw like he needs an emergency dentist

Antibiotics won’t solve a tooth infection

There is a common misunderstanding about antibiotics and dentistry, which is probably why we still have people dying from tooth infections. I’m glad you wrote so you won’t risk the same fate. Think of antibiotics as an aide to instead of a cure for tooth infections.

The reason they can’t knock it out on their own is due to the structure of the tooth. Once the infection gets to the pulp of your tooth, it dies. That means no more blood flow. Without blood flow, there’s no way for the antibiotic to have any effect on the infected pulp. While antibiotics will slow down the infection on the areas it can reach, the infection will return and spread.

The only way to truly take care of it is for a dentist to get in there and physically dig out the infection. This is called a root canal treatment.

Finding an Affordable Dentist

You’re in a bit of a pickle and I understand that. Fortunately, most dentists are compassionate and got into this field with the idea of helping people. There are affordable dentists. Be careful though. There is a difference between affordable dentistry and cheap dentistry.

Cheap dentistry is when a dentist has significantly lower prices than almost all the other dentists around him or her. They are doing that to draw people in. You need to ask yourself why they are so much cheaper than everyone else. Is it because they have trouble retaining patients because of poor dental or people skills? Bear in mind, there’s also a real possibility they’re making up their profits by purchasing cheap materials which will fail on you.

Instead of a cheap dentist, you want one who works to keep their prices reasonable without cutting corners. They can be affordable in other ways, such as making low or no-interest payment plans available so you can get the treatment you need and then pay it out. They can also phase your treatment in some cases.

Do an online search for an affordable dentist, but be certain to check out their reviews to make sure you’re not getting into a disastrous dentist.

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

Do Braces Cause Spots on Teeth?

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My mom wants me to get braces. I want to get Invisalign. She says I’d have to give her a good reason to pay the extra for Invisalign. My friend Sydney got braces and when they came off her teeth were spotted white were the braces were and have stayed that way. Is that caused by the braces?

Kaleigh

Dear Kaleigh,

Someone smiling with braces

While those spots wouldn’t have appeared like that without her braces, the braces weren’t the actual cause of the spots. The spots are caused by food being trapped in the braces and not adequately cleaned. After a time the bacteria will start eating away at the enamel on your teeth. When the braces are removed, those spots look whiter or sometimes brown. Often, there is decay underneath the spots which seriously needs to be dealt with.

Benefits for Using Invisalign Orthodontics

Here is what you can tell your mother. Invisalign is superior to braces in the following ways:

  • Invisalign makes it much easier to clean your teeth. You simply remove the aligners, brush, and floss, then put the aligners back in. There is a lot less risk of the problem listed above, which will cost your mother additional money in digging out the decay, then finding a skilled cosmetic dentist to do the cosmetic bonding on top of the spots.
  • She can cook whatever she wants because there are no limitations on what you can eat. Nothing gets stuck in the aligners because you remove them to eat.
  • They’re much more comfortable than braces because there are no metal wires and brackets.
  • They tend to work faster than braces.
  • Students have more confidence wearing them because they truly are like having invisible braces.

What You Need to be Aware of

There are three things you need to be aware of going into this so you’re prepared. First, not everyone is a candidate for Invisalign. It’s always possible your mom could agree to get you Invisalign but when you go to see a dentist or orthodontist, it turns out your case is too advanced for Invisalign and you have to do traditional braces.

Second, it will cost your mother additional money if you misplace your aligners, which has been a problem with teenagers using the procedure.

Third, you must wear the aligners the prescribed time or it won’t work. This is a great treatment, but it’s a treatment which requires patient compliance requiring maturity. Be honest with yourself about your abilities to take this seriously.

Best of luck convincing your mother!
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

A Tale of Two Emergency Dentists

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I’m a bit confused. My husband and I both developed toothaches at about the same time. We were in the process of moving and didn’t have time to deal with it. Once we got to our new place, the first thing I did was try to schedule emergency dental appointments because we were both ready to get out of pain. The first practice I called said they could see me but didn’t realize I wanted my husband seen too. It was a Friday morning, which is their half day. they said they could see one of us today and the other Monday. I scheduled my appointment and then called another practice who agreed to see my husband that day. I figured the upside was we’d get to check out two different dental offices to see what we thought before picking our new practice. When I went, they gave me a root canal treatment, but my husband only had to have a filling. Why the two different treatments for two toothaches? Was mine just overly aggressive or did my husband not get the care he needed?

Karen

Dear Karen,

All toothaches are different. They can be caused by a decay, infection, cracked teeth, etc. Plus, while all toothaches are different so is each person’s ability to deal with pain. Maybe you have a higher pain tolerance than your husband so your toothache had been there longer and turned into an infection, while his was just decaying and needed filling.

I can’t answer your question about overtreatment or negligence without examining you and seeing the x-rays. I’d just be taking a stab in the dark. However, the one thing that concerns me is neither of you seems to have been told why your dentists did the treatment they did.

Dental emergency or not, a dentist is supposed to explain the diagnosis along with your options and their recommendation. It’s up to the patient to say yes or no. So, you shouldn’t have been given a root canal treatment without knowing why.

Finding Your Permanent Dentist

When you start looking for your permanent dentist, be sure to check their reviews so you get some idea of what patient’s who’ve been there have experienced. Also, because the emergency dentist did x-rays (or at least should have), you can have your recent x-rays transferred so you don’t have to have those done again right away.

Though you had to have the root canal, I’m glad you got to the dentist before you ended up losing the tooth. The last thing you’d want to pay for right after a move is a tooth replacement.

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

Affordable Options for Dental Implants

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I need to get almost all my teeth replaced. Are dentures a decent affordable option for dental implants?

Casey

Dear Casey,

Wearing Dentures for Too Long Causes Facial Collapse

Are dentures affordable? Yes. Are dentures an option for dental implants? Yes. Are dentures a decent option to dental implants? Absolutely not. Look at the image above. This woman has lost most of her jawbone, a condition commonly known as facial collapse. It’s caused by wearing dentures for too long, meaning about ten years or so, depending on your bodies reaction. Here’s why.

The moment your teeth are removed, your body begins reabsorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere throughout your body. This causes your jawbone to get smaller and smaller. The longer this goes on, the less jawbone you have. Eventually, you won’t even be able to wear your dentures because there will be no ridge for them to adequately rest on.

Dental implants protect you from facial collapse. It does that by having prosthetic implants in your jawbone. That tells your body the minerals are needed and leaves them in place.

Working with Dentists to Get Affordable Care

You don’t have to compromise on your procedure to afford the care you need. First, you should know that in most cases the dental implant procedure is paid for in stages because the procedure itself is done in stages. That may help you with the cost.

If you’re having trouble finding a dentist who’ll allow you to do that, I suggest you do a search for “affordable dentist” online. They will be much more willing to work with patients financially. Those who don’t have in-house payment options will work with Care Credit.

Care Credit is a medical credit card. But, it has better features. You get to pick your terms. Depending on your credit, you can even get zero percent interest on repayment. Plus, if you end up having additional funds, there is no penalty for early repayment.

I hope this helps you.

This blog is brought to you by 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.

Can I Charge My Assailant for My Dental Appointment?

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I was at a frat party and was assaulted by a guy from another frat. He knocked out one of my teeth. I’m ended up going to an emergency dentist but he couldn’t save my tooth and now I have to have an implant too. Can I charge the guy who caused the problem for these?

Adam

Dear Adam,

Woman with boxing glove hitting man in face

Who Pays for Emergency Dental Appointments When You’ve Been Hit?

First, I’m sorry you were in a fight. That must have put a real damper on the party. A dentist, even an emergency dentist, can only charge the person who received the services unless they’re a minor. I’m assuming because you were at a frat party you’ve reached the age of majority.

This doesn’t mean you can’t get your cost recouped. You have a couple of options there. First, you can see if he’s a young man of integrity. If he is, he’ll be willing to help cover your costs. I’d just talk to him about it. Maybe in the sober light of day, he’ll see things more reasonably.

If he doesn’t take responsibility, you can always take him to court. Normally, in a situation like that, it would be small claims court. However, if you need a dental implant that will go over the limit for small claims court and you would take it to the next level.

When to See an Emergency Dentist

You were smart to go to an emergency dentist when your tooth was knocked out. To have the best chance of saving a tooth, you need to be receiving treatment within 30 minutes of losing the tooth. Also, be careful not to touch the roots of the tooth. Only handle it by the crown. It sounds like you tried to do that. Maybe the damage was just too extensive to do anything.

So you know for future reference, there are other reasons to go in for an emergency dental appointment as well.

  • A Toothache

Usually, a toothache is a sign something is wrong. It can often mean an infection. If you see a pimple on your gums it means the infection has progressed enough where it will require a root canal treatment. Other times it can just mean you’ve got a cavity that is close to the pulp and causing pain. You’ll want to get in as soon as possible to ensure the least invasive treatment possible.

  • A Graying Tooth

If you have a tooth that is turning gray, it means the tooth is either dead or dying. It will become a harbor for bacteria. The sooner you go in and get a root canal treatment and dental crown, the better.

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