Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Does Invisalign hurt as much as braces?

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When my first daughter had braces they hurt her all the time. The inside of her mouth was constantly cut, no matter how much “wax” was put on the brackets. My youngest child now needs braces. I keep hearing about invisalign. Are they more comfortable than braces?

Irene F. – Nevada

Irene,

Your youngest daughter is lucky. Orthodontics have changed a lot. Invisalign is much more comfortable than traditional braces, as long if she is a good candidate. There are some things to take into consideration.

First, they are slightly more expensive than traditional braces. But, given your first child’s experience, I doubt you’d mind.

The second one is your youngest child’s responsibility level. Unlike braces, Invisalign is removable. So, if your child won’t keep them in, that could be a problem. The treatment only works if they’re kept in the prescribed amount of time.  There is an Invisalign Teen which has a few replacement aligners, but only you know your child.

I hope this helps.

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

Why is There a Pimple on My Gum?

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I’ve had a toothache for some time and kept meaning to get to the dentist, but we’re new in town and I haven’t found a regular dentist yet. Now there seems to be a pimple on my gum. Do you know what that is?

Marie B. – New York

Marie,

It would appear that you have developed an abscess on your gum from an infected tooth.  I hate being the bearer of bad news because I know that moves can be stressful and now you’re needing to add dealing with this on top of everything else.

I realize you do not have a dentist at the moment, but you need to get this treated right away. There are emergency dentists that will see non-established patients in times like this. They’ll get you out of pain, diagnose the problem, and schedule a follow-up.

If you don’t like the dentist, you can schedule with a different dentist. Just make sure you at least get seen by someone quickly. It will only get worse and this will spread.

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

Need more work than I can afford

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I’ve neglected my dental care for quite a few years. Because of that, I need a lot more work than I expected. The dentist said I needed six crowns because the cavities are too large to just fill them. There’s no way I can afford that, but am afraid I’ll lose my teeth if I don’t do anything. Is there a middle ground option?

Elizabeth C. – Mesa, AZ

Elizabeth,

It’s overwhelming to feel you need too much work, especially if you don’t have the money to afford the care you need. Your dentist should have affordale options for you. There is phased treatment, that allows you to get the most urgent work done first.

If your dentist is worried about it becoming an abcess and wants you to get them all done right away, then you can ask about payment plans. Many dentists have low, and sometimes even no, interest plans that will allow you to get the work  done you need.

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

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.

What do you do if your crown falls out?

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I got my first dental crown. It was a little uncomfortable and I will admit I was picking at it a bit because of the discomfort. But, I was not expecting it to fall out.  I’m a little embarrassed now and wondered if I can put it back in myself?

Adrianna – Kentucky

Adrianna,

You have nothing to be embarassed about. Even if you did pick at it, it shouldn’t have fallen off. That is the fault of the dentist. What you’ll have to do is call them and tell them your crown fell out. Most dentists schedule some time in their days for unexpected dental emergencies. They shouldn’t charge you for this, because it shouldn’t have fallen out to begin with.

Don’t try to fix this yourself. If you don’t put it in just right, it could cause a problem in your teeth’s alignment. It could also be painful.

Speaking of painful, I would also be sure to tell your dentist the crown was uncomfortable. Describe the pain to him.  When he bonds it back in, he is likely to be able to solve that problem as well.

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

Can’t get a date. Is it my teeth?

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Everyone says I am beautiful. I can see where my face is pretty, but I have a huge gap in my front teeth. Could that be why I can’t get a date? If so, what can I do about it at 37? I’m not wearing braces.

Jenna S. – Maine

Jenna,

I would be ridiculously unfair of me to say your teeth are the reason you can’t get a date. It could be you just haven’t met the right guy. It could be you’re beautiful AND wicked smart, so men are intimidated.  I won’t convince you to get a procedure based on something emotional and personal.

What I can do is tell you how to discreetly fix your teeth at 37. You have a few options.

  1.  Fill in the gap.  That can be done wtih dental bonding. I have a hesitation with this, simply because you said the gap was huge. You don’t want to do this if filling it in will make your smile look unnatural.
  2. Invisalign.  If all that is worrying you about your smile is the gap, Invisalign can close it without you having to wear traditional metal braces.  This uses clear aligners to gently shift your teeth into proper alignment. No one will even know you’re doing it.
  3. Porcelain Veneers. I’d only suggest this if you needed a complete smile makeover. It can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth.

I’d pick one of these only if YOU are unhappy with your smile.  Otherwise, go about your life. The right man will come along.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa 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.

SmileCareClub

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What can you tell me about the Smile Care Club?

Jessica B. – Flagstaff, AZ

Jessica,

The SmileCareClub is, in essence, a do it yourself Invisalign treatment. There are some differences.

  1. Your treatment is not monitered by a dentist, so if something goes wrong, you’re on your own.
  2. A dentist looks at pictures of your teeth, to see if you’re a good candidate. That might work to tell if there is a crowding issue. Unfortunately, he or she is not likely to be able to tell if you have gum disease. That could be a serious issue, because if you have gum disease, the shifting of your teeth could cause them to come loose.
  3. With Invisalign you switch aligners every two weeks, with SmileCareClub every four.

It possible this will work. I would just be concerned about the possibilities of things going wrong and not having an orthodontist or dentist who does orthodontic work to keep his or her eye on things.

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

Should my sister have gone to an emergency dentist?

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My sister was in a car accident where she lost her tooth. She thought it was fine to just save the tooth and see a dentist later. I thought she should have gone to an emergency dentist. Which of us is right?

Jeanette K. – (the right sister)

Jeanette,

Unfortunately, you were right. I only say unfortunately because your sister not listening to you mean she lost any chance of saving her tooth.  You usually have to get to a dentist within thirty minutes to have any chance of saving your tooth. She’ll have needed to keep it moist, either in her cheek or possibly in a glass of milk.

Her dentist would have gotten her in right away. If she didn’t have a dentist an emergency dentist would have seen her.  If you call on your way, they’ll even be ready for you when you get there to give you the best chance of saving your tooth.

At this point for your sister, she’ll have to get a replacement tooth.

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

Need too many procedures

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I went to the dentist for the first time in years…like since I was a teenager.  I’m 43 now.  I need so many procedures (which frankly doens’t surprise me), that it is going to cost many thousands of dollars.  I just don’t have that kind of money, but want to deal with my mouth, whihc has felt unpleasant for a while. I called around to several dentists in order to find someone more affordable. All the dentists were around the same price on all procedures (something I find a little suspicious), except one.  There was a cheap dentist, but when I looked up more information about him, he didn’t have very good reviews.  I’m feeling like he was cheaper for a reason.  Is there any way to get affordable dentistry?

Marc G. – Little Rock, AR

Marc,

Cheap dentistry doesn’t equate with affordable dentistry.  It’s a good thing you did some research.  If that cheap dentist were  one of those dentists that cuts corners but order cheap parts, you could have ended up with a serious problem.  Fortunately, that won’t happen to you, because you’re smart enough check beyond the price list. I have seen patients that ended up with major infections or a complete failure of the procedure. What they thought was going to save them money ended up cost more than double.

Prices are the only way to get affordable care.  When you need a lot of procedures, such your situation, I suggest phased treatment.  I would pick the dentist who is skilled and honest, not necessarily the cheapest. Have him or her list out everything you need done, but have them prioritize the list from the most urgent to the least.

Then, set up a treatment schedule that works with your budget. Get the most urgent things done. Then you’ll have time to save up for the other procedures.  I’d also suggest looking into low or even no-interest payment plans.  Most dentists have some kind of connection with options like care credit.

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