Teeth maintenance with invisalign

I am thinking about getting Invisalign and wondered if you could tell me what kind of maintenance is required. How often will they have to be worked on? How do I clean them? Is it hard to eat?

Franny- Indiana

Franny,

Invisalign is very low maintenance. You’ll need to switch out your aligners every two weeks, but you wouldn’t necessarily need to see your dentist that often. To clean them, you would just rinse them out. They pop in and out quite easily. You would just take them out to eat, so there are no dietary restrictions, nor do you have to worry about any food getting caught like in traditional braces. Then, just brush your teeth after eating and pop the aligners back in. It is remarkably simple and pain free. I feel they are a great advancement in orthodontics.

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

Invisalign

I keep seeing these TV ads for invisalign and wondered if they are the real deal. Do they really straighten your teeth like braces and are they really invisible? I’ve wanted to get my crooked teeth fixed for a while, but I put it off for so long that I’d feel kind of dumb wearing braces at my age. I kind of got excited when I saw the commercial, but wanted to make sure it wasn’t bogus first.

Robert N.- Benton, AR

Robert,

You can be assured that Invisalign is quite legitimate. In fact, they are more effective than traditional braces and can straighten your teeth in half the time. No one will be able to tell you are wearing them at a conversational distance. We’ve even had patients tell us that their family never even knew they were wearing them.

You may also be interested in Teeth Whitening, and have a kind of smile makeover. This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Blood infection from tooth

I have a really infected tooth that is rotted all the way down to my gumline. I’ve known for over a year that this tooth needs to be taken care of, but I just don’t have the money. Now I’m afraid I’ve caught a blood infection from this. The whole side of my face, down into my neck hurts. What would the symptoms be if this has spread into my bloodstream? What can I do about it?

Patty L.- Benton, AR

Patty,

Pain in the side of the face is quite common with a tooth infection, so I wouldn’t panic yet. However, a severe tooth infection left untreated can lead to sepsis, though it is not very common. This is sometimes called blood poisoning.

Some early signs of sepsis are flu like symptoms, dehydration, a racing heart rate, and shallow breathing. If it becomes severe you can also experience difficulty swallowing, infrequent urination, and mood swings.

Due to the fact that this tooth has been left untreated along with the symptoms you’re experiencing we highly recommend you see a dentist as soon as possible.  Ask the dental office about financial options they may offer and see if they are willing to work with you on making payments.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert emergency dentist Dr. Roper.