Tag Archives: invisible braces

Invisalign

Can a Dental Flipper Make My Teeth Look Straight?

I want to have straight-looking teeth but am way too old for braces. I was thinking that I could get a dental flipper that could make my teeth look straight if I put it on top of them.

Tracey

Dear Tracey,

A dental flipper
A dental flipper

I think you may be confusing a dental flipper for something like a Snap-on Smile. A dental flipper is a temporary tooth replacement. It doesn’t cover your teeth as much as just fill in an empty spot while you save up for a more permanent tooth replacement.

Snap-on Smile, on the other hand, will fit over your teeth. However, you need to be aware of their limitations. First, it is made of Acrylic. It will look okay at a distance, but not as natural when people see them close up. Second, it will not last very long just about two to three years. If you are okay with those limitations, you can see a dentist to get started. However, I have an alternative you may want to consider.

Invisalign: The Modern Alternative to Braces

Invisalign versus braces
Traditional Braces versus Invisalign

You don’t have to get traditional braces with their metal wires and brackets anymore. These days, Invisalign is a great option. Instead of using metal, it uses clear aligners to straighten your teeth. You can get your teeth straightened without anyone ever knowing.

There is also a hidden benefit to using these clear aligners. Not only will you get your teeth straightened, but the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This will enable you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time, giving you a mini smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
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Invisalign

Can a Dental Flipper Make Teeth Look Straight?

I have crooked teeth but feel I am too old for braces. I’ve heard about a dental flipper that can snap onto your teeth and make them look straight. Will this really work?

Theresa

Dear Theresa,

A dental flipper

A dental flipper

I think whoever told you this had a dental flipper confused with the snap-on smile. A dental flipper is used to replace a missing tooth. It does not fit over a tooth. In case someone reading this is looking into tooth replacement options, a flipper is considered a temporary replacement. It’s inexpensive and people use it to give themselves a “tooth” while they save up for a permanent replacement, such as a dental implant.

Having a Straight Smile Without Braces

Snap-on Smile is something that will snap over your teeth in order to make them look better. They will not look stunning, like they would with porcelain veneers but they will look okay. They are more suitable for something like a photoshoot or one-night class reunion. They are made of acrylic and would need to be replaced every few years.

An image of Invisalign aligners

These days we have better options than ye olde fashioned traditional braces. Now, there is Invisalign. Instead of metal wires and brackets, it uses clear aligners. These are invisible, even at a conversational distance. These are more comfortable than braces and work in significantly less time.

You can go with the snap-on smile and it will give you a decent temporary solution. My suggestion, however, would be to plan long term and get Invisalign. It has an additional hidden benefit of enabling you to whiten your teeth at the same time as you straighten them. The aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. It is like getting a mini smile makeover at a fraction of the cost.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
Click here to learn about sleep dentistry.

Invisalign

Options for a Tooth Gap

I have an 8mm gap in my front teeth. My dentist is suggesting I get Lumineers to fix that but I’m a bit nervous about that. I see the Lumineers have mixed reviews. Are there other options for me that do not include 3 years in metal braces?

Cameron

Dear Cameron,

An image of Invisalign aligners

Whatever you do, please do not allow your dentist to do Lumineers on your teeth. For one, 8mm is enough space for a whole other tooth. This is a very complicated case for any brand of porcelain veneers and you are correct that Lumineers is touch and go at best. This is due to two factors.

1. They are highly advertised to inexperienced cosmetic dentists. You would need one of the top 1% of cosmetic dentists for your particular case.
2. The company that owns Lumineers insists dentists use their lab, which is not known for having excellent results.

My suggestion would be for you to get Invisalign. This can straighten your teeth and close that gap in half the time of traditional braces. Not only that, they can do it invisibly. There are no metal wires and brackets. Instead, Invisalign uses clear aligners. These are much more comfortable and, because they are removable, it is simple for you to brush and floss your teeth.

They have an additional hidden benefit of allowing you to whiten your teeth at the same time. This is because the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. It is like getting a mini smile makeover at a fraction of the cost.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Invisalign

Invisalign and Retainers

I am on my last pair of aligners and need to move out of state. It is rather sudden, but my mother had a stroke and will need a lot of care. I can work from anywhere so I’m going to move there to be closer to her. I don’t know if I will need to find a new Invisalign dentist or if any dentist can give me the retainer I need. I was told it is important to wear a retainer for a while. How do I handle that?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

An image of Invisalign aligners

I am sorry to hear about your mother. It is wonderful how you are stepping up to take care of her. You will not have to find another Invisalign dentist to finish out your treatment. You are already on your last pair of aligners so you won’t need any further aligners.

Your dentist is correct that you will need a retainer. It is important in order to get your teeth used to their proper alignment. Without that, they will begin to shift again. The good news is, your final pair of aligners can double as a retainer for you. This will take one burden off of your shoulders while you care for your mother. Follow these directions carefully and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Using Invisalign as a Retainer

  • Step One: Wear them as you have been for your treatment for about a month, only taking them out to eat as well as brush or floss.
  • Step Two: Wear them only at night for a month
  • Step Three: Wear them every other night for a couple of months, doing a shift check after the first few days.
  • Shift Check: If when you try to place your aligners in, they seem a tad more difficult than before, it means your teeth have shifted and you need to go back one step.
  • Step Four: Back off a tad more by wearing them once every three or four days for a month or two, being careful to do shift checks.
  • Step Five: Wear them once a week for a month.
  • Final Step: Leave them out completely.

One word of caution here. Make sure you keep your aligners around and periodically give your teeth a check.

Cosmetic Double Duty with Invisalign

There is another benefit to having your Invisalign aligners around. They can double as teeth whitening trays. This will allow you to whiten your teeth while keeping them straight. All your dentist will have to provide you with is the professional strength gel, which will save you a lot of money.

Best of luck to you and your mother.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Invisalign

Frequency of visits during Invisalign

I am interested in Invisalign but I live in a rural area. I was wondering how often I have to go into the dentist for Invisalign treatment? Do I really have to go in every couple weeks for a fitting or can they send me the new aligners in the mail?

– Catherine in Wyoming

Catherine,

It is quite typical that a dentist would need to check your progress every four weeks with Invisalign. The patient receives two sets of clear Invisalign aligners to be worn, one on top and the other on the bottom. The first set is to be worn for two weeks and then the next set is to be worn for another two weeks. Then at four weeks, the dentist will likely want to check on you to monitor your progress. That said, if you live in a rural area, your dentist may be willing to work with you on the number of visits. It really all depends on the complexity of your case.

Technically speaking, all of the aligners are created when you begin treatment. So it is possible to take all of the sets home with you and come back in for an evaluation when you have been through all the steps. Although, monitoring is ideal because sometimes adjustments need to be made during treatment. Some patients actually require some shaving between the teeth at different intervals of treatment.

Hopefully that answers your question.

This post is sponsored by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Other links: affordable dentistry, gentle dentist

Invisalign

I want to fix my cooked tooth

I really want to straighten my teeth, particularly one of my front teeth. I have received conflicting recommendations about what would be the best way to solve my problem and I am just not sure who to trust. My right front tooth is pushed way behind the other ones which means it is very crooked. Do you know if Invisalign is an option for me versus the conventional wire and bracket braces? Or maybe I should have this tooth pulled. Will that give me more options?

– Sal from Texas

Sal,

Invisalign is a safe and effective way to straighten your teeth in about half the time as traditional braces. Typically if you are an adult and your teeth are crooked, then you are a candidate. Porcelain veneers are another option that can be used to give the appearance of straight white teeth too.

Pulling your tooth would be an absolute last resort. This is because your teeth would always look different because you would have an uneven number of teeth in front. There are many things that can be done today to make your teeth appear straight but it is important that the symmetry isn’t thrown off because you are missing a tooth. Your smile just wouldn’t look right with five teeth instead of six showing. So even if a dentist is recommending this tooth be removed, you may want to seek another opinion.

It is difficult to make specific recommendations without having seen your case. If you find a cosmetic dentist that does Invisalign, that that would be a good dentist to consult with about what is the best treatment for you.

Best of luck to you.

This post is sponsored by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Other links you may be interested in: emergency dentist, affordable dentist

Pediatric Dentistry

Sucking my thumb

I sucked my thumb until I was 13 years old. My teeth have suffered badly. My top teeth are shaped in an upward curve and are out of alignment. I want to get them fixed. What do I need to do to get them to return to normal.

-Jeanie in Kansas

Jeanie,

I recommend you find an orthodontist in your area. They will be able to correct the misalignment you have from sucking your thumb. Invisalign braces could solve your problem. Without seeing your particular case it is hard to see if you have other options.

Thumb sucking is a common concern of parents whose children have this habit. The best advice is to not worry too much about it. If you make it a really big deal, you may create a complex in your child. Unfortunately, this will have the opposite affect and will actually reinforce the behavior. Thumb sucking does not cause permanent damage to the baby teeth. This means that you are okay until the age of about seven or so. Most likely, when a child starts school their friends will play a large part into making them stop.

Since you sucked your thumb until the age of 13, it did cause damage to your permanent teeth. So, just relax and for most this behavior takes care of itself.

If you are still dealing with your kids sucking their thumb after losing baby teeth, you may need to do something more. Positive encouragement is the way to go. Don’t force them, punish them, or cause shame. This could have lasting implications on your child’s self esteem.

If it still is an issue, there are aids that can help. Although, these aids have the most success when the child truly wants to quit. So, if they do want to stop then you can try a bitter liquid called Thum. This product and other similar products make thumb sucking unpleasant. This will cause them to associate the bad taste with the behavior and under the right circumstances, it will help.

This post was provided by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Read more about pediatric dentistry.

Invisalign

Switching Invisalign dentist

I am an Invisalign patient and every four months I receive retainers. I am very happy with the way Invisalign has straightened my teeth, I am just not happy with my dentist. So I would like to change dentists. Is it possible to continue with my retainers? I don’t feel that I should have to select my dentist due to their certification or affiliation with Invisalign.

-Leah in Texas

Leah,

There is an ethical obligation by your current dentist to do everything required to ease your transition to another dentist. You should be able to continue with using the retainers through another dentist. You have every right to switch dentists even if you are in the middle of undergoing treatment.

The dental association mandates these ethical standards and even if your current dentist fails to abide, it would not be difficult for a new dentist to create a new retainer. This is even possible without any previous information. The dentist or staff member will make a simple impression to make a model of your teeth, and order it from the laboratory.

Lastly, the new dentist does not have to be certified with Invisalign, although it would be good if that was the case.

Invisalign has a very high patient satisfaction rate, so I’m glad to hear you are happy.

This blog was posted by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Did you know you can porcelain veneers is another option to straighten the appearance of teeth.