Category Archives: Invisalign

Invisalign

Can you kiss with Invisalign?

I’m getting Invisalign teen and am wondering if I’ll still be ale to kiss my boyfriend.

Keisha T. – MIssissippi

Keisha,

It’s perfectly fine to kiss with your Invisalign aligners. Most have no issues with it. Occassionally, I hear of a patient who said it took a little getting used to. That doesn’t mean you will.

Invisalign has one of the highest satisfaction rates.   One of the things I have noticed with teen patients sometimes  is forgetting  to put the aligner back on after meals.

It’s very effective, but only if you keep the aligners in for the amount of time required to wear them.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

Travel and Invisalign

I have an opportunity to leave the country for a month and a half in France. I’m about 4 weeks into my invisalign treatment. What do I do if I’m supposed to go to my dentist’s every two weeks for new aligners?

Mary Anne K. – Richmond, Va

Mary Anne,

It’s perfectly fine for you to travel as long as your Invisalign treatment is proceeding normally. Your dentist can simply provide you with the number of aligners you’ll need while you’re away.  Be sure he or she  clearly labels the order your aligners should be worn.

If you find you run into difficulty while you’re away contact your dentist and he can give you further instructions.

I’ll try not to be jealous of your trip.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

Can I drink coffee with Invisalign?

I want to get invisalign, but I’m an avid coffee drinker. Will I have to give it up during treatment?

Jane F. – New Mexico

Jane,

You can drink coffee during your treatment, but not while your invisalign aligners are in your mouth. There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. The heat of the coffee extremely likely to warp your aligners. This will damage your treatment plan.

2. The coffee will pool in the aligner. With the acidic (and sometimes sugary) nature of the beverage, that will cause the disintegration of your aligners.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t partake of coffee at all. In fact, you take your aligners out with every meal. That is three times a day right there that you can drink a cup of coffee.

Plus, Invisalign works much faster than traditional braces, so you’ll be back to drinking as many cups of coffee as you ‘d like in no time.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

Are my teeth the cause of my dating problems?

My husband left a few years ago and I’m finally ready to start dating. The only problem is, I’ve got no takers. Do you think my tooth gap could be turning off potential dates?

Stephanie L. – Minnesotta

Stephanie,

I couldn’t give you a guarantee that your tooth gap is the source behind your dating woes, however, our smile is one of the first things people notice about us, so it is a possibility.

If that is the case, you have a few options. If the gap isn’t too big, you could close it up with dental bonding or porcelain veneers. However, if it is something you’d like to have permanently repaired, then I suggest you look into Invisalign.

This will allow you to straighten your teeth, without anyone even noticing. They have no metal wires or brackets. They really are invisible.

Give it a try and good luck with the dating!

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

Black hole in my smile

My parents never believed in spending money on teeth. As a result, I have a giant gap  as well as some crooked teeth on the bottom.  The gap is big enough to assume there’s a small black hole in my smile. I’ve finally got my first real job and want to fix my teeth. However, I don’t want a metal mouth.  I’ve heard about invisalign, but worry my gap will make it obvious I’m wearing them.

Trey G. – Ft. Worth, TX

Trey,

How exciting that you get to fix your teeth after all these years. Invisalign is a wonderful option. Not every one is  candidate, so you’ll want to have a dentist check you out.

Don’t worry about the gap. Invisalign dentists are used to dealing with that and have a way of camoflauging it.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Dentist Dr. Mike Malone

Invisalign

I damaged my aligner-what do I do?

I drank a bunch of hot tea when I was with friends.  Now my aligner is warped. What do I do?

Rhonda W. – Montana

Rhonda,

I would go see your dentist and let him look at your aligner. Worse case scenario is he makes you a new one, but go in as soon as possible or it will throw off your treatment plan.

Using Invisalign doesn’t mean you cannot drink tea. Just don’t do it while you have on your aligners. You’ve already learned that the heat can warp them.  What you may not know is that it can seriously damage your tooth enamel. It is likely that the tea will pool in your aligner.  The sugar and other acids in the tea will eat away at your enamel.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

Did my dentist cheat me with my Invisalign?

I have reason to suspect my dentist gave me a knock off instead of the real deal on my invisalign treatments. Is there some way to be certain of their authenticity? Also, are they supposed to be cleaned a certain way? If I do it differently will it matter?

Sven B. – Pennsylvania

Sven,

Let me take these questions in order.

  1. First, I am curious what has made you suspicious.  To answer your question, yes, there is a way to tell if you’ve got  the actual brand.   In fact, Invisalign makes it super easy to tell.   On the biting surface of the tray and you will see their trademarked name. There will also be a set of numbers and letters that indicate your patient ID number, designations for your upper or lower arch ( marked as U and L),  as well as other information.  These are plainly visible.
  2. You should have been provided with an Invisalign cleaning kit. If for some reason you  weren’t, I would call your dental office and request one. If they don’t have them, don’t despair, there are ways to clean them without it.  You can use regular toothpaste. I wouldn’t use anything abrasive or it could create tiny scratches on your aligners. That may lead to staining. You could also simply brush them with water and rinse them thoroughly.  However, your dentist really should supply you with the cleaning kit.
  3. As to whether i would bad to clean them with something else, that answer really depends on what else you’re referring to.  Gentle toothpaste  and water are obviously OK, but I would use anything corrosive like bleach, etc.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

Wine and Invisalign

I am planning on getting Invisalign. I know you can’t eat while the aligners are in and you just take them out for meals. I wondered if that meant I have to take them out whenever I drank too? I drink about five glasses of wine a day, plus some sodas. If I have to take them out everytime I drink, I won’t have them in much.

Karen D. -Maumelle, AR

Karen,

Unfortunately, It would not be a good idea to drink those beverages while wearing your Invisalign aligners. That doesn’t mean you can’t drink the whole time of your treatment. I would just limit them to when you’re eating your meals.

There is a danger in drinking such highly acidic drinks while having your aligners in. They are likely to get caught between the aligners and your teeth. Then they would sit there eating away at the enamel on your teeth.

It might be hard getting used to limiting how much you drink. There have been similar patients who’ve had to do so. They mentioned the one benefit was losing some weight.

However, don’t despair. Invisalign treatments work in half the time of traditional braces, sometimes even faster. So, the limiting when you drink won’t last very long.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

Fixing protruded teeth

I have protruded teeth. I am wanting a cosmetic option to fix it, but don’t want braces. What are my best options?

Alina M. – Montreal

Alina,

Both the options I am about to share with you will repair protruded teeth. However, neither will work if your teeth are extremely protruded. My most important advice is to make sure you go to an expert cosmetic dentist. We’ll talk more about this in a minute. I’ll give you the options first.

Your first option is Invisalign. These are different than braces, which I can understand you not wanting.  They will repair your teeth, straightening them like braces, but there are no uncomfortable wires and brackets, plus they are no visible to other people, even at at conversational distance. No one will even know you are wearing them. If you’re open to that, then Invisalign would be one of your options. A good one too, because your teeth will be straight.

A second option is to get porcelain veneers. These will not actually straighten your teeth, but they will make them appear straight. Even though these don’t actually straighten your teeth, they do have a different kind of advantage. These can also change the shape and color of your teeth.  So, if there is more than just straightening your teeth you had in mind, these may be a better option.

That being said, if you ever get cosmetic work done of any kind, it is extraordinarily important that you use a highly skilled cosmetic dentist. Cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. Therefore, any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. The skills necessary to do a beautiful smile makeover are not taught in dental school. It takes a considerable amount of post-graduate training to develop the skill and technique necessary. Plus, you want a dentist with an artistic eye.

So, how do you make sure you’re getting a qualified cosmetic dentist? My recomendation would be to find a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Only the top cosmetic dentist reach accreditation level.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

 

Invisalign

The Importance of the Time Between Invisalign Aligners

I thought we’d address a common question we get sometime during a patient’s Invisalign treatment. Invisalign has a very high patient satisfaction rating, however, at some point every patient wonders why they have to wait the full two weeks before they can switch to the next set of aligners. Here’ s why.

Your teeth will move into their new position within just a few days. It is often tempting to think if you switch to the next group of aligners as soon as your teeth are in the new position that you can get through your Invisalign treatment that much faster.

There is a reason your dentist will want you to wait the full two weeks. Your teeth are supported by bone that surrounds the root of your teeth. When your teeth move, the root is moved as well. If you don’t give the bone time to re-form around the roots. If you don’t give them that time, your teeth will become loose. It’s possible they would even fall out.

In the grand scheme of things, two weeks isn’t that long a time, especially to ensure long term health for your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.