I used one of those mail order Invisaligns to straighten my teeth. It did straighten my teeth but I developed some gum disease and black triangles. I was brushing and didn’t notice any problems until it was too late. My dentist is treating the gum disease and I asked what would fix the black triangles. He said dental bonding should do it. But, it made things worse. It looks like white blobs between my teeth and I can’t even floss. What do I do?

Ellie,

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Dear Ellie,

I am sorry this happened to you. Those mail order invisible braces, are fake Invisalign substitutes, but nothing like the real thing. One of the big problems with those mail order kits, even if they work by straightening your teeth, is that you are not under the supervision of a dentist during treatment. Had you been, they would have caught the gum disease before it became this big of an issue.

I’m glad your dentist is working on the gum disease. That will be very important. The first thing I want you to do is have the dentist remove the dental bonding. If you cannot floss then your new bonding has become a trap for bacteria.

Once you are sure that the gum disease is completely under control then you will be safe to have the dental bonding done again. This time, though, you will need to have it done by an expert cosmetic dentist. This is one of the more advanced applications of dental bonding.

Look for a dental practice that has an AACD accredited dentist on staff. These are the best cosmetic dentists. Plus, they will be more likely to stock the composites that you’ll need for the bonding to blend naturally.

Down by your gums the color of your teeth is darker.  Most dentists don’t keep a large variety of composites. Those who do a lot of cosmetic work, do.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.