Is Invisalign the right option for a teenager?

Dr. Pang my son is preparing to get Invisalign braces in a month or so. A dental hygenist friend of mine is concerned that it can cause permanent damage to the tooth roots in teens by moving them too quickly. Should I reconsider?

Dr. Asensio: The most qualified person to evaluate your son's health is a dentist/doctor. If you are concerned please seek a 2nd opinion from someon qualified to give you an evaluation. You hygienist friend is partially correct though, in that permanent root damage can occur as a complication -- regardless of the technique used. Invisalign or not. In fact, root damage can occur for other reasons such as banging a tooth with a soccer ball. Root resorption often is noticed years later, and can be triggered by a traumatic accident to the tooth.

Should I tell my dentist that I have Osteoporosis?

Question: I am 57 years old and last week fitted with my first set of invisalign braces. The dentist worked on one of my front teeth to make it smaller. Now I have a gap between my two front teeth and the tooth he drilled on has several hairline cracks and is very sensitive. Should I be concerned about this and contact his office before my next appointment scheduled in 2 weeks? Also I just received a test result that indicated I have osteoporosis which I was not aware of when we started this process.Should my dentist be informed of this new health issue?

Dr. Asensio: I am so happy for you that you have started your Invisalign treatment, hurray! About your new medical condition, yes it would be wise to inform your dental care doctor. However, this should not influence your treatment at this time.In regarding your sensitivity and your concerns about your actual treatment i would contact their office today and inform them of this.

They might want to see you right away just to make sure you and your treatment are doing well. It is to be expected to have some soreness and sensitivity of the teeth with Invisalign every time a new aligner is used because of the new movement it creates. I hope this answers your question. Look forward to your final results and get excited.

Braces with Crowns and Implants

Question: I have a malocclusion problem and an overbite and the malocclusion is gradually causing my face to become very asymmetrical and it is also causing me quite a bit of pain. I had to get a back molar extracted because the root was fractured and am in the process of having a dental implant placed there once the bone grafting heals up.

I want to get that tooth replaced but also do not want to have it put in if I require braces or whatnot in order to get rid of this jaw pain that I am experiencing due to the malocclusion. Can a person have braces if they have crowns and implants in place in their mouth? Also, is an orthodontist fully qualified to do a proper bite adjustment, if that is all that I need to make the pain go away?

Dr. Slota: Kristine, your questions are valid. A person with crowns and implants can have orthodontics done. An orthodontist is best trained to straighten teeth. They are not necessarily the ones to do bite adjustments. I would recommend you find some one who does functional or neuromuscular TMJ to correct your bite prior to any orthodontic treatment.