The Empowered Dental Patient by Douglas Urban, DDS

In my career I have encountered all types of people who needed dental work. I think most dentists really enjoy the interaction with their patients when presenting treatments. I am referring to the type of person who asks questions and understands what service is being provided and why.

In dentistry as well as medicine there are always treatment options. They may range from doing nothing to complete reconstructions. All alternatives have consequences. It is up to you with the advice of your dentist to weed through the consequences to determine the best course of action.

First, let’s look at periodic cleanings. I am not sure exactly where the “see your dentist every 6 months” originated. It could have been from a toothpaste commercial. Regardless, every person presents with different dental problems that may require dental cleanings every 12 weeks or once a year. This should be discussed with your hygienist and dentist and consequences should be weighed when arriving at a treatment option.

Second, let’s review x-ray frequency. I recommend some of my “high cavities” patients have check-up x-rays every six months. Depending on risk of decay or examination of recently placed dental work I will advise check-up x-rays every year. Complete x-rays should be acquired every 3-5 years. Once a person has demonstrated a good maintenance record and stable dental health radiographs can be less frequent and more regular.

Third, I want to consider the missing tooth. Believe it or not back teeth are important too. A missing molar can lead to other teeth drifting into the unoccupied space resulting in an unstable set of teeth. With continued drifting the bite can collapse and place more pressure against the front teeth. These in turn will spread and start showing gaps where no gaps existed. For this reason I will recommend replacement of missing teeth. Replacement alternatives include doing nothing, placing a removable bridge, placement of a fixed bridge, and placing an implant. Each treatment option carries a different prognosis and cost and should be discussed with your dentist.

Last, we should not look only at treatment options, but also the length of treatment. I have completed extensive treatment in just a few appointments within a month’s time. Likewise, I have provided similar treatments over the course of many years. Tailoring treatment sequence and duration should be openly discussed when making financial arrangements.

All treatments have inherent life expectancies. As a kid I thought a filling would last forever. Although they last a long time fillings do eventually cease becoming a good restorative solution and should be replaced. In fact most dental work later in life is usually replacement of previous dental work.

Feel free to ask questions and get involved with your dentist. Expectations are easily met when we know exactly what to expect.

Is Invisalign For You? By Mary Fiedler, D.D.S., Our Invisalign Dentist.

Is Invisalign for you? Would you like an improved smile with straight teeth without metal braces? Invisalign and Invisalign Teen may be just what your smile needs. Clear, thin aligners are custom fit to your teeth and will gradually improve your smile in as little as 5 months. Patients are thrilled with the results and often wish they had started Invisalign sooner.

Invisalign treatment has successfully improved the smiles of millions of patients all over the world. These invisible braces fix many orthodontic issues such as crooked teeth, overbite, under bite, spaces between teeth, and more. The comfortable and clear aligners gently and gradually move your teeth into the proper position – without non removable braces.

How Invisalign works involves extensive research coupled with professionally diagnosed treatment plans for each patient. With Invisalign, we have successfully treated many teenage patients, as well as all ages of adults, including a patient in her eighties. We have also treated patients who have had relapse after traditional braces. Treatment time varies between patients, but the average treatment time ranges from just 5 months to 12 months.

After photographs and precise impressions are taken of your teeth, custom aligners are fabricated to meet the professionally diagnosed treatment plan for your case. Delivery of the first set of aligners involves verifying proper fit and placement of a few small tooth colored attachments on your teeth. You will wear each set of aligners, one aligner for the upper and one for the lower teeth, for two weeks. It is important to wear each set of aligners for approximately 22 hours each day, removing for meals and teeth cleaning. After two weeks of wear, you switch to your next set of aligners. You will be given three sets of aligners at each appointment.

Follow up appointments are scheduled at 6 week intervals where we evaluate your orthodontic progress, the proper fit of your aligners, verify the health of your teeth and gums, and deliver the next three sets of aligners. The custom and precise movement of your teeth is very gradual with each aligner, just 0.25mm of movement of specified teeth. But, within just a few months, your improved straighter smile is evident. Before long, your case is complete with your beautiful new straight and healthy smile. Clear retainers are given to you to maintain your new smile. Actual Invisalign cases are shown below for a case with crowding and another with spacing before treatment, both with beautiful and healthy straight teeth after completing treatment:

Selecting Invisalign over traditional braces is often something patients consider. There are many advantages (shown below) of Invisalign over traditional braces, including often shorter treatment time, being virtually invisible, ease of use, home care, comfort, health, and more. You can even bleach your teeth during treatment, enabling a whiter straight smile to occur during the orthodontic improvement of your teeth.

The health benefits with straightened teeth are important too. You may be surprised to know that the benefits of having properly aligned teeth extend far beyond a confident smile. According to the American Dental Association, straightening your teeth can actually affect your overall dental health. Straightening your teeth can reduce your risk for tooth decay and gum disease.

Swollen, red gums can often be the result of having teeth that are crowded or too widely spaced. Plaque and tartar build up around mal-aligned teeth is often heavier due to difficulty in at home care. These are also signs of periodontal disease. When teeth are properly aligned, it helps the gums fit more securely around the teeth and is easier to keep your teeth clean. This allows for the strongest and healthiest defense against potential periodontal problems. In our dental practice, we see less tarter and plaque build up on our Invisalign patients, during and after treatment, as well as healthier gum tissue.

Having healthy gums and teeth during orthodontic treatment is important too. One of the biggest problems of having traditional braces is removing all of the food that gets trapped around the brackets and wires. This can lead to plaque build up, swollen gums, and possible tooth decay. Fortunately, with Invisalign the clear aligners are removable, so it is easy to continue brushing and flossing your teeth as you normally do.

Straight teeth and healthy gum tissue are a window to the health of your body. Your teeth and gums – and how they look to others when you smile – say a lot about your overall health. Tooth decay and gum disease are caused by bacteria. Left untreated, they can cause mouth sores, tender or bleeding gums, bad breath, and possible tooth loss. Studies by the American Dental Association have shown that oral infections can also lead to more serious ailments such as heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, and diabetes. Invisalign aligners make daily oral hygiene easier, thus reducing the risk of possible problems.

Correctly aligned teeth can help alleviate problems caused by an improper bite, speech or chewing difficulties, jaw problems, or wear on the tooth enamel. Invisalign effectively addresses all of these orthodontic issues, so that you’ll have the confidence of a great smile and increase the likelihood of improved oral health. If you would like to have these improvements to your smile and overall health, please give our office a call to set up a consultation appointment.