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Archives for September 2019

Does Smile Care Club Work?

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I have been saving up for Invisalign, but saw an advertisement on Facebook for Smile Care Club. As I looked into it, it appears I could save quite a bit of money going this route. Does it work? I figured, because I live across the country from you and could never actually be a patient, you’d give me a straight answer.

Paul

Dear Paul,

Ivnisalign aligners

Invisalign Aligners

I have looked at this before as a matter of professional interest. Smile Care Club is essentially a “DIY” Invisalign knock-off company. It is significantly cheaper. The bulk of the reason for that is you don’t have the regular care and supervision of a dentist during treatment. Plus, it switches aligners every three weeks instead of every two.

Does it work? It looks like it can if you’re an ideal candidate and nothing goes wrong during the procedure. Here are some considerations before making your final decision.

Considerations before Choosing Smile Care Club

You send an impression and photos to the dentist. I do not feel these are enough of a diagnostic to know whether or not a patient has gum disease. If you do and go forward with treatment, it will aggravate the situation and could cause you to lose teeth. However, if you’re sure your gums are in top shape, that won’t be a problem.

There are a couple of other big concerns I have:

  • Shaving Teeth

In cases where patients have crowding to deal with, one solution is shaving the sides of the teeth. This is a very tricky procedure, that even the best cosmetic dentists have to be extraordinarily careful to maintain the proper shape of the teeth while removing the right amount of enamel. They’ll likely send you to one of their contracted dentists to do this. It’s just a simple way for a local dentist to bring in some extra cases. However, this dentist isn’t personally invested in your case because you’re not technically his patient. I’m not sure how careful he or she will be.

  • Tooth Rotation

Sometimes teeth have to be rotated during the procedure. With Invisalign, you’re under the continual care of a dentist who has a vested interest in the outcome. During your checkups for treatment, he or she is able to evaluate whether or not the tooth is rotating as it should. Without those checkups, that will get missed and the outcome will not be what you’d hope for.

Bottom line. It’s a gamble, but can work. You’ll just have to determine how much of a risk-taker you are.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Imam.

Crooked & Discolored Teeth

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I have severely discolored teeth and several of them are crooked. I’m looking for a recommendations.

Dan

Dear Dan,

Woman with a beautiful smile

When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, you have two paths you can go with this.

Cosmetic Dentistry Path One: Invisalign and Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a simple procedure which just about any dentist can do. Invisalign requires a dentist who has the equipment. It’s sometimes called clear braces. They aren’t your traditional type of braces with metal wires and brackets. Instead, they use clear aligners that are milled in conjunction with a sophisticated software program.

You wear the aligners for two weeks, while they gently move your teeth into the next position. Then, you’ll switch to the next pair. A benefit of the aligners is your teeth can double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to whiten and straighten your teeth at the same time.

Cosmetic Dentistry Path Two: Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are tiny wafers of porcelain which can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth simultaneously. While they won’t straighten your teeth, like Invisalign, they will make them look straight. This is an advanced skill which requires advanced training in cosmetic dentistry. These skills aren’t taught in dental school. and a dentist who is interested in these skills needs to invest time in post-doctoral training.

However, it requires more than technical knowledge. It requires an artistic eye. So how are you to know whether or not your cosmetic dentist has what it takes? One thing I’d do is look at their smile gallery, which gives before and after images of work the dentist completed. This will give you an idea of what type of results he or she gets.

If you aren’t thrilled with what you see, look for a different dentist. However, if you do like the results, the next step will be to check their reviews. You will want to make sure they’re the type of dentist who is good with patients and listens to their goals for their smile.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Imam. Ask about our digital smile design.