Dental Flipper to Make My Teeth Look Straight

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I have teeth that are not straight. While I finally have money to fix it, I am too old for braces. Plus, I’m a tad impatient. I’ve waited this long and do not want to wait for three years more, especially with a mouth full of metal. I was thinking maybe I could get a dental flipper that would fit over my teeth and make them look straight. Do you think that would work?

Callie

Dear Callie,

I am glad you wrote. Let’s start with the dental flipper. I think you may be confusing this with something like a snap-on smile. I dental flipper is sort of like a removable partial denture. It is made to replace a missing tooth. Snap-on smile is made of acryllic and can snap over your teeth. They do okay for things like a photo shoot, but are not a great long-term solution for someone in your position.

First, they will look okay, but not natural. This is especially true close-up. Second, they’ll have to be replaced every few years. Third, there are better options.

If you want to truly straighten your smile, you are no longer bound by traditional braces with their metal wires and brackets. There have been many improvements in orthodontics over the years. My recommendation to you would be Invisalign (pictured above). These use clear aligners to straighten your teeth. No one will know that you are wearing them, even at a conversational distance. Plus, they work in about 1/3 of the time that it takes regular braces, so your treatment will be much faster. They also have the additional benefit of enabling you to whiten your teeth at the same time, if you should so desire. This is because the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. All your dentist would have to provide is the whitening gel, allowing you to do two procedures much more affordably.

Another option, if you just want them to look straight, without actually straightening them, is to get porcelain veneers. These are used for a total smile makeover. They can change anything you want about your smile including the shape, size, and color all at the same time. It is faster than orthodontics. Bear in mind, it is more expensive as well. Plus, you would need to use an expert cosmetic dentist.

Either of these options have more patient satisfaction than snap-on smile. In fact, Invisalign has a very high patient satisfaction rate.

This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.