Invisible braces Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

Can I Switch Dentists Most of the Way Through Invisalign?

Posted on February 22, 2025 by writeradmin.

While I have been very satisfied with my Invisalign treatment, the dentist himself has been a source of irritation for me. I am very close to the ending of my treatment and will start the retainers. Is it possible to switch dentists at this point?

Alex

Dear Alex,

Thank you for writing. First, I’m glad you’ve been happy with your Invisalign treatment . It has a very high patient satisfaction rate. Second, I’m sorry the dentist providing the service for you has much less of a satisfaction rate.

The good news is that you are able to switch dentists at any point in your treatment. Your dentist is ethically obligated to provide whatever provider you choose with all his diagnostics and notes in order to ensure a smooth transition.

If you do not want to stay with this dentist until the end of your actual treatment, then you will need to find another Invisalign dentist, but whoever you choose, will be able to smoothly continue your treatment. Until you have the next pair of aligners, continue wearing the last ones you have. That will keep your teeth in their latest position and prevent you losing ground on your treatment.

If you prefer to wait until the treatment is done and then do the retainer part with another dentist, you will not need an Invisalign dentist. Any dentist can make a good retainer for you. You could also use your final aligner as a retainer. Just make sure you carefully wean yourself off of it.

Start with a month at a time wearing them all night. Then you can try every other night. However, if you feel the aligners getting tighter when you put them in, go back to every night for a few more weeks, then try again. From there to to every few days overnight, then a week, etc.

Just be sure that each time you test it to make sure your teeth aren’t shifting, which you’ll recognize by the tightness in your aligners.

On a side note, if you are interested in teeth whitening, your Invisalign aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This will allow you to whiten your teeth at a fraction of the cost.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Invisalign for a Crooked Front Tooth

Posted on December 6, 2024 by writeradmin.

I have a crooked front tooth. It’s really embarrassing because it goes behind the tooth that is next to it. I am hoping that braces are not my only options. If it is I’d rather replace the tooth. What would be the best replacement option in that case?

Jenny

Dear Jenny,

Please do not pull your tooth. You have a couple of good options for fixing this front tooth. The first, is to use Invisalign. This a great way to straighten your teeth without traditional braces. No one will know that you are straightening your teeth, even at a conversational distance.

A second option would be to get porcelain veneers. This will not straighten your teeth, but will make them look straight. This is a much more expensive option and is typically used for a complete smile makeover. It can change everything about your smile, including the shape, size, and color.

If the only thing you want to fix about the smile is your crooked tooth, I would definitely use the Invisalign option. If you want to fix the crooked tooth and whiten your teeth, I’d still use the Invisalign because the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. Then all your dentist will need to provide you with is the gel. This saves you money allowing you to get two procedures done for a fraction of the cost.

However, if there are multiple things you want to change about your smile, porcelain veneers is the way to go. It is what celebrities turn to in order to get that Hollywood smile. Be aware that it is an extremely advanced procedure and you will want a dentist who has post-doctoral training in smile makeovers and porcelain veneers to do your work. Otherwise, you could end up with something worse than what you started with.

On a side note, if you ever do have a tooth which cannot be saved and you need to extract it, the best tooth replacement is a dental implant. Hopefully, that never becomes an issue for you, though.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

A Dental Flipper to Straighten Teeth?

Posted on October 9, 2024 by writeradmin.

I have crooked teeth but do not want a mouth full of metal braces at the age of 42. I was thinking that I may be able to get a dental flipper that could fit over my teeth and make them look straight when I am out in public. Have you seen something like that work before? If not, is there a better option?

Terry

Dear Terry,

I am glad you wrote. A dental flipper doesn’t fit over teeth. It is actually just a false tooth used to fill in a space. You may be thinking of the Snap-On smile procedure. This will fit over your teeth. They are not going to look stunning, like porcelain veneers would. This is because Snap-On smile is made of acrylic. I would look at is as something that could be adequate. This can look a little bulky because it snaps over your teeth.

My suggestion will allow you to have actual straight teeth all the time, and not just when you are out in public. Don’t worry, you will not have to wear braces. Instead, I am going to suggest you get Invisalign. These use clear aligners (pictured above) which can be used to straighten your teeth. Using an advanced software system, these can straighten your teeth in about half the time of traditional braces. Plus, no one will even know you are wearing them, even at a conversational distance. They are like having invisible braces.

As you may have realized, our teeth pick up stains as we age. Because of that, you may also be interested in whitening your teeth. If so, the Invisalign aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. It also actually saves you some money because you won’t need the teeth whitening trays. The aligners work the same way. All your dentist will need to provide for you is the teeth whitening gel.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Is There an Age Limit for Invisalign?

Posted on September 9, 2024 by writeradmin.

I am 74 years old and would love to finally have straight teeth! I know it seems like I’ve waited forever, but I focused on kids and then grandkids. I finally have some money for me! Is it possible for me to get that Invisalign thing where no one can tell you have braces or am I too old and decrepit? I have a granddaughter wearing them.

Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

I’m glad you wrote. Not only are you not too old for Invisalign, you are part of the clientele they are looking for. Invisalign was originally designed for adults. Many times, adults wanted to improve their smile by straightening their teeth, but they had a job in a professional setting. A mouth full of metal wires and brackets would not have been a great thing for their career. It wasn’t until several years later that Invisalign Teen came on the market.

If it makes you feel better, I know of a group of dentists who get together and discuss their Invisalign cases as a study club. They also compare statistics of the patients, though no personally identifiable information is disclosed. One of the things they do talk about is the age of their patients. Several of the dentists had patients in their eighties. In comparison, you’re a babe.

There is an additional benefit to Invisalign that helps with older smiles. As we age, our teeth pick up stains. Teeth whitening can make us look decades younger just by taking care of those stains. The aligners used by Invisalign to straighten your teeth can also double as teeth whitening trays. This also saves you money in the long run because instead of needing to have custom trays made for your whitening, you can just have your dentist provide you with the professional strength whitening gel. Then, you will wear that in your aligners at a time that is most convenient to you.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

I Accidental Threw Out My Invisalign Aligners!

Posted on March 23, 2023 by writeradmin.

Help! I’m on vacation in the Virgin Islands for the next week, and right when I got to our hotel I accidentally threw out my upper AND my lower aligners! It was while I was down at the bar, I took them out briefly to eat some fresh fruit, and stupidly kind of hid them in a white napkin (I didn’t want them just sitting loose on the bar!) I left and we were gone for more than three hours before I realized. I called and they couldn’t find them. The garbage had already gone out.

Anyway, what do I do? Do I just go without them for a week? Won’t my teeth drift out of position and not fit my next set? I had just put those ones in that morning, I didn’t even get to wear them a whole day. I feel so stupid. I’ve only had Invisalign for two months!

Sierra

Dear Sierra,

I am so sorry to hear of your mishap, especially during your vacation. The good news is this has happened to many people. So, take a deep breath. It’s frustrating, but not the end of the world.

As you know, Invisalign clear aligners are fabricated to be changed every one to two weeks, depending on the needs of your treatment. Each set has small differences that will create movement. If you’re two months into your treatment, you’re likely somewhere between sets four and eight.

Skipping a week may or may not cause the next set of aligners to fit properly. Sometimes the next set will not fit because there has not been adequate movement during the lapse. You don’t want to rush this because the treatment plan is carefully designed. In the meantime, you can just wear the set you just finished with until you get home and your dentist can provide you with another copy of the new aligners.

In the meantime, call your dentist to let them know what happened. That way they can be prepared for when you get home. If you cannot, then call right away as soon as you’re back home.

If you do not have this prior set either, you will have to go the week without anything. Your teeth may shift slightly; be sure to see your doctor right away when you return. They may need to obtain a new scan of your mouth–if so, don’t despair. At most, it may have added a few weeks to your total treatment time, but it will not impact your promise of a beautiful end result.

This is a common occurrence, which is why we try to encourage patients to bring their case with them on outings. This way you won’t feel like you have to hide them and will be less likely to accidentally forget them. Do not beat yourself up over this. You are human. Believe me when I tell you that your dentist has heard every possible scenario of how patients have lost their aligners.

Take a deep breath and enjoy the remainder of your vacation.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Beware of Smile Direct Club Reviews

Posted on January 16, 2023 by writeradmin.

I was doing some research on Smile Direct Club, which advertises itself as an inexpensive Invisalign alternative. I started by looking up reviews, but all the review sites seemed to be tied to the company’s sales. Interestingly, all the reviews were positive. Then, I came across this article by the New York Times that indicated the Smile Direct Club was squelching negative reviews.

Based on the article, it appears that Smile Direct Club keeps a close eye on their reviews. When a negative one pops up, they contact the customer and offer them a pro-rated refund in exchange for signing a contract. Part of that agreement entails removing any current negative reviews they have up as well as, “he/she will not make, publish, or communicate any statements or opinions that would disparage, create a negative impression of, or in any way be harmful to the business or business reputation of SDC or its affiliates or their respective employees, officers, directors, products, or services.”

That will make it very hard for potential customers to get a realistic impression of the experience actual patients have had with them. I decided to do a quick search on the Better Business Bureau, where it is harder to manipulate information. In the last three years, for my city alone, Smile Direct Club had 2,650 complaints. Compare that with Invisalign where I could not find any complaints for my area.

So, what is a patient to do if they want invisible braces? You have a couple of options. First, you can completely ignore this and get Smile Direct Club anyway. If it works out for you, you will have saved some money. Bear in mind that you will not be under a dentist’s care throughout the procedure so if something does go wrong, you are on your own. Your second option is to go ahead and get Invisalign. If cost is an issue, I would look specifically for a dentist who advertises himself as an affordable dentist on his website, but also offers Invisalign. They will be more likely to work with you on payment options.

I hope this helps protect patients who are hoping to have a good experience getting their teeth straight.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

I’ve Moved and Still Have Invisalign to Finish

Posted on October 25, 2022 by writeradmin.

I recently moved out of state. I was in the middle of my Invisalign treatment. Before I left, my dentist provided me with the remainder of my aligners. Everything was a bit frenetic during the move and I missed switching one of my sets of aligners as I normally would. I have a couple of questions. First, did I mess everything up by forgetting to switch a set? Second, do I need to find another Invisalign dentist or can I go this on my own for the remainder of the treatment? I’d say I have about three months left.

Catherine Anne

Dear Catherine Anne,

Moving is hectic. The good news is people have to do this all the time during dental procedures and with some preparation, things can go very smoothly. Let’s start with your first question. Did you mess anything up? Provided that you kept wearing the Invisalign aligners even though you didn’t switch them out, you should be fine. You can just switch them out now and continue as you normally would from here. If you weren’t wearing your older set during the transition, then you may need an additional aligner to get things back on track.

Can You Finish Out on Your Own?

I can see your thinking here. You already have all your remaining aligners and are quite familiar with how the procedure works, so why do you need a dentist? The truth is you need an Invisalign dentist because the human body is unpredictable and sometimes does not follow the initial plan. When that happens adjustments have to be made. You’ll need a dentist for that.

The good news is it shouldn’t cost you too much. Not only do you have the remainder of your aligners but your previous dentist can give him all his notes and diagnostics.

A Second Benefit to Invisalign

In addition to straightening your teeth, did you know that your Invisalign aligners can double as teeth whitening trays? It is a quick and easy way to whiten your teeth with minimal expense. All you’d need to purchase is the professional whitening gel, which your dentist can provide for you. You simply wear it in your aligners for however long you want each day. Before you know it, your smile is straight AND white.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Lumineers for a Tooth Gap??

Posted on April 13, 2022 by writeradmin.

I have a large tooth gap. It is about 10mm wide. I was talking to my dentist about a way to fix this and he is suggesting Lumineers. That is a bit expensive, but if it is my best option, I will do what it takes to get the money. What I don’t want is a mouth full of metal braces.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I would NOT go with Lumineers. First, Lumineers is just one brand of porcelain veneers but it is a brand that is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists so I would be careful with any dentist recommending that brand. A second thing that concerns me is the size of the gap. Ten millimeters is large enough that you could fit another tooth in there. This would be an especially challenging case if you were to fix it with any brand of porcelain veneers. You have a better, safer, and less expensive option.

Orthodontics have improved tremendously in recent years. You said you do not want a mouth full of metal and I certainly do not blame you for that! Did your dentist ever mention Invisalign to you? This uses clear aligners to straighten your teeth. You can wear them without anyone even knowing you have some type of orthodontic on. These clear aligners are invisible even at a conversational distance.

They also have an added benefit which enables you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time for a fraction of the cost. The aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. All your dentist will need to provide is the professional strength gel and you’ll wear them in your aligners at a time that is most convenient to you.

If you decide you want to go with porcelain veneers anyway, that is fine. Just make sure you choose the dentist for this carefully. I would say, for your situation, you would need a dentist who is in the top 1% of the cosmetic field. It will be more expensive than what your dentist is even quoting you.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Invisalign and Missing Teeth

Posted on September 27, 2021 by writeradmin.

My parents were quite poor and could never afford the dentist. Braces were completely out of the question. They sacrificed everything so I could have an education and have a better life than they did. Now that I am out of school and have a great job, it is time to get the smile I have always wanted. I’ve been to a dentist and gotten my oral health under control. Now, I would love to have pretty, straight teeth. I have some issues which may interfere with that. My two adult bicuspids never came in so they are both still baby teeth. I know they’ll need to be removed and replaced. Can Invisalign work with missing teeth?

Elaine

Dear Elaine,

Congratulations on all the progress you’ve made with your oral health. I bet your parents are as proud of you as you are of them. Invisalign does a fine job working around missing teeth. One thing you will need to determine is if your adult bicuspids are there but just didn’t erupt or if they are congenitally missing. That will be a big factor in how your case should proceed.

If they are congenitally missing, then Invisalign can open up the area for the replacement teeth. My suggestion is you get dental implants to replace them. They
are the best tooth replacements and will last you for many years.

I have not seen your teeth so I am not saying this last bit is necessary. I am just presenting it in case it is something you are interested in because it can save you time and money. If you were considering whitening your teeth, you should know the Invisalign aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. All you’d need is the professional strength gel, which your dentist can provide for you. This will allow you to whiten and straighten your teeth at the same time.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

SmileCareClub Critique

Posted on August 20, 2021 by writeradmin.

I keep getting advertisements for Smile Care Club. Do you know much about them? Are they a safe alternative to Invisalign?

John

Dear John,

In some ways, it works in a similar way to Invisalign. It uses clear aligners that you change out periodically. In the case of Invisalign, you change out every two weeks. With SmileCareClub, they change it out every three weeks. In my mind, the two weeks is better. Your teeth actually shift into position in just a few days. The remainder of that two weeks is to give the bone time to integrate with the tooth root’s new position. Giving that an extra week really isn’t necessary and extends your treatment time.

Other than that, will it work? When it does work, then it can save you money than what Invisalign will cost you. Truthfully, if the statistics are accurate, it does work out for the majority of their patients. However, there are risks you should know about before jumping in.

First, there is not an adequate exam before your treatment is approved and begins. This is actually a big deal. With Invisalign, you would get a full work up including x-rays. One of the things this is looking for is gum disease. With SmileCareClub, you just send in photos for them to examine. Is it possible for them to determine that you have gum disease from those? Possibly, if it is an obvious case, but there are many cases that are not obvious. If you go ahead with treatment when you have gum disease it could cause you to eventually lose some teeth. One way around this would be to have a checkup done with your regular dentist and make sure you’re clear at that appointment, then move forward.

A second issue is the crowding of your teeth. There are many times that some light shaving has to be done on the sides of your teeth in order to get the remainder of your teeth in their proper position. While they will send you to a dentist, this dentist is not really invested in you or your case. That concerns me.

Finally, our bodies are not always cooperative. As well planned as a treatment could be, our teeth don’t always obey the plan and adjustments have to be made. The lack of follow-up with SmileCareClub concerns me. Your case could go completely off the rails if this happens.

My advice is to talk to your dentist about your smile goals and the cost of Invisalign versus this DIY treatment. He or she may be able to work out a payment plan for you. One other thing. Invisalign has the additional benefit of doubling as teeth whitening trays. This will allow you to straighten and whiten your teeth simultaneously.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.