Dental Flipper for Straight Teeth?

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I have some crooked teeth. One of them sticks out more than the others as well. I don’t want to spend years in painful and ugly braces. I’d be happy if they just looked straight. Would a dental flipper work for me in that case?

Danae

Dear Danae,

In your situation, you have two good options and one so-so option; however, a dental flipper isn’t one of them. This is used as a temporary tooth replacement. It won’t make any of your other teeth look different.

Options for Straight Teeth Without Traditional Braces

Option One: Snap-on Smile

image of snap-on smile

This is the so-so option I mentioned above. It may be what you were thinking of when you said a dental flipper. Snap-on Smile fits over your teeth and will make them look straight. They are not going to be a stunning smile, though. They’ll just be okay. Also, because they fit over your teeth, they can look a bit bulky. This will especially be an issue for you because you have a tooth which you said sticks out.

Option Two: Porcelain Veneers

A single porcelain Veneer being placed on a tooth

Porcelain veneers will also cause your teeth to look straight without actually straightening them. When done by a skilled cosmetic dentist, they can provide you with a stunning smile makeover.

This is the go-to procedure for celebrities who want that Hollywood smile. They’re quite versatile and can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth simultaneously.

Option Three: Invisalign

a side by side comparison of traditional braces and Invisalign on someone's teeth

Braces compared to Invisalign

These will actually straighten your teeth. Using a sophisticated software program that carefully plans out your treatment, they can work in about half the time as traditional braces. Another benefit is their comfort. You won’t have to wear any painful metal wires and brackets.

Plus, they use clear aligners which are invisible even at a conversational distance. Because of that, some people call them invisible braces. Unlike porcelain veneers, you won’t need an expert cosmetic dentist. Any dentist who has invested in the technology can provide them for you.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Invisalign or Porcelain Veneers?

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I’m ready to fix my smile. I’ve been going back and forth between Invisalign and porcelain veneers. I’ve heard that the Invisalign fixes your teeth without anyone knowing and it’s much less expensive than the porcelain veneers. But the porcelain veneers should be faster. Is there a significant difference in their results? Are the porcelain veneers worth the extra cost?

Amaya

Dear Amaya,

Which procedure you get depends on two things. First, what your needs are for your smile. Second, the skill of the dentist you are working with. Let’s go over what each of them do.

Invisalign

Invisalign Aligner

Invisalign Aligner

Invisalign is specifically orthodontic related. If your teeth need to be straightened, this is the procedure to go with. It will straighten your teeth without anyone even knowing you are doing orthodontics.

It has an additional cosmetic benefit, too. The aligners used to straighten your teeth can also double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth simultaneously, thereby saving you both time and money.

Both of these procedures are fairly simple and will not require your dentist to have done extensive post-doctoral training in cosmetic work.

Porcelain Veneers

single porcelain veneer being held up by a dental tool

A Porcelain Veneer

This is more for those going for a total smile makeover. Porcelain veneers use tiny wafers of porcelain to completely remake your smile. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth simultaneously. While they can’t straighten your teeth, a skilled cosmetic dentist can make them appear straight.

This is the go-to procedure for celebrities to get their Hollywood smile. However, this does require some expertise on the part of the dentist. Unfortunately, smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. A dentist has to invest their time after they graduate learning the procedures, as well as developing their artistry. Without that, I’m afraid you’ll be sorely disappointed in the results.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Solution for a Gigantic Tooth Gap

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I have a rather large tooth gap. My dentist said it is about 9mm. I want to fix it and whiten my teeth at the same time. My dentist said he was just certified in Lumineers and can place those on my teeth to close the gap. Is this a good solution? I want to make sure for two reasons. One, it’s expensive. Two, he is new at it.

Joey

Dear Joey,

Invisalgin Aligner

Inviaslgin Aligner

I want you to run away from the recommendation your dentist gave you as fast as you can. Here are just a few reasons why. First, Lumineers are simply a brand of porcelain veneers. This particular brand is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place because there is no prep. In all honesty, there is no such thing as no-prep veneers. Your teeth will have to be etched no matter what brand you use.

Second, certification in Lumineers simply means they have attended a seminar. It does nothing to develop their skill or teach them artistry.

Thirdly, your particular case would require a dentist who has tremendous skill, experience, and artistry in placing porcelain veneers. The size of your gap is enough to fit an entire tooth into. In order to make this look natural, it will take some technical expertise not available to your dentist.

Invisalign is a Much Better Solution

In your place, I would have Invisalign done. These use clear aligners to straighten and align your teeth. You can see a picture of one of the aligners above. These will close the gap without anyone even knowing you are wearing orthodontics. They are invisible even at a conversational distance. Additionally, they are much more comfortable than traditional braces and work in half the time.

Not only will using Invisalign cost significantly less than getting porcelain veneers, but the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays, saving you even more money. Your dentist can just provide you with the whitening gel, which you can wear in your aligners at a convenient time for you. This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Smile Care Club Versus Invisalign

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I’m really wanting to straighten my teeth but don’t have a ton of money. I keep hearing about this smile care club. They advertise heavily on Facebook. It seems much more affordable than Invisalign. Is it safe? Does it do the same thing?

Carol

Dear Carol,

Invisalgin Aligner
Inviaslgin Aligner

Smile Care Club is what boils down to a “do it yourself” Invisalign treatment. The biggest difference is you are not under the care of a dentist. That’s where you’re savings comes from. That’s also where the risk comes.

For the majority of cases, Smile Care Club will work fine. However, there can be problems. One big problem patients run into is gum disease. If someone has gum disease, getting any type of clear braces treatment will aggravate it. You will need the help of a dentist in order to make sure you can keep your teeth.

With these companies, you essentially just submit pictures to see if you “qualify”. However, only certain cases of gum disease can be diagnosed from pictures. Most would require both x-rays and probing.

There are two other issues which can pop up. The first is if the teeth need some mild shaving because of crowding. They will send you to a dentist for this. However, that dentist isn’t personally invested in your case. It can be tricky to get the right amount of shaving done on the sides while maintaining the proper shape of your teeth.

Another issue is if teeth don’t rotate the way they were supposed to. That also needs dental intervention.

Bottom line. You could save money as long as everything goes perfectly. If there are any side issues, you could end up with a disaster.

A Side Benefit of Invisalign

One thing patients will love about Invisalign is the ability for the aligners to double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to whiten and straighten your teeth at the same time, essentially giving you a mini smile makeover.

However, that will need to be under the care of the dentist in order to protect your gums.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Boss Wants Me to Straighten My Teeth

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My boss called me into his office. He started off by telling me he felt awkward saying this but he thinks I’ll understand in the long run. I was so afraid I was about to be fired. Instead, he said, “I want to give you a big promotion, but you’ll need to straighten and whiten your teeth to get it.” I was puzzled until he explained that I’ll be their Public Relations person as well as a division leader. The PR post would require me doing media interviews, which means I’d need a pretty smile in order to make a positive impression. The money would be super worth any expense. It’s a huge promotion and he was right that I’d completely understand. I want to do this right. What do you suggest?

Madison

Dear Madison,

side by side of a smile with braces and a smile with Invisalign

First, let me say congratulations! What a promotion that is. I’m sure you’re thrilled. You have a couple of great choices to meet your cosmetic goals.

Straighten Your Teeth With Invisalign

Invisalign is a type of invisible orthodontics which is ideal for adults who which to straighten their teeth without a mouth full of metal. They use clear aligners. The image above shows a comparison of someone smiling with both braces and Invisalign. They tend to also work more quickly than braces as well.

If you go this route, the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays allowing you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time.

Remake Your Smile with Porcelain Veneers

If you don’t care about straightening your teeth and just want them to look straight, you can get a total smile makeover with porcelain veneers.

These use tiny wafers of porcelain to change the shape, size, and color of your teeth simultaneously. They have two big benefits for you.

  • They will be a faster procedure than Invisalign
  • They can completely change your smile, making it celebrity beautiful almost instantly

Their drawback is they’re much more expensive than the first option I gave you. Either one will give you the smile you need for your promotion.

Best of luck to you and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.