Monthly Archives: December 2011

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

Dental Bonding, Pediatric Dentistry

Will Snap-On Smile work for my daughter?

My daughter is ten years old and she chipped her front teeth. I was thinking I would wait until she is older before I get these teeth fixed. But I was wondering if Snap-On Smile would work until we moved forward with a permanent fix?

Thanks,

– Gina from Ohio

Gina,

Ten years old is a tricky age because your daughter likely has a mix of permanent teeth and she probably still has some baby teeth. The baby teeth she still has may be a little loose too and her permanent teeth are in the process of erupting. The main issue with choosing the Snap-On Smile for your daughter is the fact that the appliance needs to snap onto her existing teeth. And since her teeth are in such a transitional stage, it isn’t going to work very well.

Dental bonding is safe for children and would be a solution to take care of the chipped teeth. You just need to make sure that she is old enough and willing to sit in a dental chair during the procedure.

This post is sponsored by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Related posts: pediatric 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