February 05, 2009

Invisalign: invisible braces

Braces are far from sexy and comfortable – though some people fancy them sexually, but this is not our subject- therefore, dentists came up with one the coolest dentistry innovations to make patients have and better looking: Invisalign, an invisible way to straighten teeth without ugly looking braces! 

Invisalign consists of custom made invisible retainers that hold your teeth instead of the heavy duty wires and braces. You wear the invisalign aligners for two weeks, you just take them off to eat, drink, brush, floss, etc. The dentist will replace the invisalign retainers with the next in the series – your teeth will move little by little- until your teeth adapt to the final position he has determined.

To get Invisalign braces you have to consult Invisalign certified dentists (this is a relatively new dentistry treatment, so there are not many good orthodontists out there doing it) that will determine the best alignment for both your appearance and your bite.  

If the dentist determines you are a perfect Invisalign candidate, congrats! The next step is taking molds and taking X-rays or digital pictures from your teeth, from which your aligners will be fashioned. The number of aligners you will depend on how much movement your teeth need to get straightened.

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June 16, 2008

Cosmetic dentistry: debunking top dental myths

Before you turn 60 your teeth will have performed chewing for over 32 million times. Gees, that’s’ a hell of a job for your pearly white, isn’t it? Then, don’t you think they deserve some good cosmetic dentistry pampering?

Therefore you should consider a soon visit to the dentist, but it is better if you go with a calm mind, free of prejudices and fears. And for that, we want to debunk for you three common myths about cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Myth # 1: Braces are only for kids

Absolutely not. Adults of different ages need braces as much as children do.

In fact, there are adult-specialized orthodontists (lingual orthodontics) that put braces on the back of your teeth to avoid the ugly “can opener” look, these are called: lingual braces. There is also the alternative of Invisalign, invisible braces as retainers.

Myth # 2: Teeth bleaching can weaken your teeth


When you get your teeth bleached they do not lose strength, they just become more translucent. However, after the application of teeth bleaching products with hydrogen peroxide there might be sensitivity and irritation of dental tissues. Rarely, there have been reported cases of irreversible tooth damage due to dental bleaching.

Myth # 3: They have to trim down your teeth for veneers placement

Not necessarily. Depending on the position and shape of your teeth, the dentist would just put the veneer over the tooth with no need of shaving it down. It can also be possible to reshape the enamel to put the tooth in the right position, and just place the veneer on.

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