September 2011 - Ryan Perry, DDS

I’ve been reading through all of your blog posts, and think you have a great site. I feel like I could really trust your advice, so I am going to ask what you think about my situation.

I have one crooked front tooth, and when I say crooked, I mean SERIOUSLY crooked. It has always been embarrassing to me, and now that I am getting ready to enter a new career, I want to get it fixed. The problem is that I keep getting different advice from different dentists! This makes me really distrustful. I don’t know who to believe, and was hoping you could help shed some light on the situation.

One dentist said I should go with conventional braces, and another said that I could try Invisalign. I was wondering about just pulling it and replacing it with a dental implant, but neither dentist would discuss that option. A third dentist said that I could consider a porcelain crown, but that it would be really challenging to match to my other teeth and that I would really want to talk to an expert cosmetic dentist about getting this work done. Does it really make that much of a difference? And why the three different answers? It makes me suspicious that this is all some big conspiracy.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Alberta in Seattle

Dear Alberta,

Let us put your suspicions to rest. You received three different answers (all of them perfectly viable) because the three dentists you consulted all have different areas of expertise.

Conventional braces would certainly straighten your crooked tooth, but it could take up to two years to complete treatment. Invisalign treatment is usually shorter, and there are many advantages to that type of invisible braces. And finally, the dentist who advised you to talk to an expert cosmetic dentist was absolutely correct in stating that matching a porcelain crown or a porcelain veneer in the front of the mouth can be quite tricky. It is commendable that he or she recognizes this challenge and is giving you excellent advice.

Any one of the three solutions could work for you, so now it is time to decide which course of treatment would be best. It might be best to talk to an expert cosmetic dentist who also does Invisalign, as they could offer you the pros and cons of each solution.

The dental office of Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry sponsored this blog post.

When I was 12, I lost all my front teeth (top and bottom) in a boating accident. I’ve worn a dental bridge for years, but now the bone loss is getting very noticeable. I’ve been discussing dental implants with my dentist. He says he can do them, but I am not that excited about his apparent level of confidence. He is not enthusiastic about this procedure, and I think I am going to ask him to refer me to a specialist.

Part of the reason for this is that I think I need a procedure called “bone grafting”. I don’t think most general dentists do that sort of thing, do they? And how do you know if you are a candidate for this or not? My health is a little dicey.

Thanks for your help in this matter.

Shelley in White Plains

Dear Shelley,

The best chance for a successful bone grafting procedure is if your general health is good. “Dicey” doesn’t really offer us much information, so you’ll want to be very specific and detailed with the professional you choose to work with. The doctor will consider your general health, but will also examine your CT scans and x-rays. Decisions about this type of procedure are made on a case by case basis.

If you do need grafting, you would be very smart to seek out the services of a dentist who has strong experience with dental implants. Of all dental procedures, dental implant procedures seem to have the most severe consequences when things go wrong. Look for a doctor that has extensive training after dental school, at facilities such as American Academy of Implant Dentistry or the Academy of Osseointegration.

This blog entry was posted courtesy of the office of Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry.

Just one crooked front tooth – what are my options?

Is bone grafting something I should consider?

Archives for September 2011