Kevin Fitzpatrick, DDS

Good6916:

This is a hard situation to give advice for.  As a dentist, we never want to cause damage to any other teeth while we are treating our patients, but when we do, we should own up to our mistakes.

While you still have a temporary crown, I would recommend getting a second opinion from another dentist.  Talk with friends, family, neighbors and co-workers for a good recommendation.  The dentist performing the second opinion might want to remove your temporary crown to see the damage that was done.

You may also want to speak with an attorney about this.  Sometimes a letter from a lawyer will make people do things they wouldn't do without a lawyer being involved.

Good luck with this.  


Kevin Fitzpatrick, DDS, MS

Makinseys:

First off, thank you for your service. Patriotic people like you are what keeps our country free and safeguards our democracy.

I would recommend contacting the dentist that is doing your orthodontic treatment and telling him/her your issue, and asking if your monthly payments can continue as scheduled through November.  It's normal for that dentist to ask for the remainder of your balance if your braces come off early, but hopefully he/she will understand your situation.  Once you begin your time in the Air Force, you will have a consistent salary, and if you don't pay your bill for your braces and the Air Force finds this out, it's likely you will get in trouble.  (So ensure you make your monthly payments ON TIME!)

Thanks again, and good luck!  Aim high...  fly-fight-win!


Kevin Fitzpatrick, DDS, MS

Chila:

This is a difficult question to answer here, and I would recommend seeing the dentist who performed your Invisalign treatment.  It's possible that the aligners have distorted and are now putting pressure on your teeth.  But more likely, there is something about your bite which is encouraging teeth movement.  It's also very possible that you are clenching or grinding your teeth, especially at night.

Passive aligners aren't really designed for use as retainers -- so I would ask your dentist about getting retainers made.

Good luck!

Kevin Fitzpatrick, DDS, MS

DawnFuller92 -

Dr. Gantos is right -- most patients either need a quick conservative adjustment of their bite, or allow enough time for the teeth to settle in and fit together better.  If those don't work for you, your dentist (or an orthodontist) could perform a separate treatment to try to get the molars to mesh together better than they do now.

Good luck!

Kevin Fitzpatrick, DDS, MS

TayC -

Call the dentist who is in charge of your orthodontic treatment.  It's usually OK to delay the start of either your upper or lower arch, but sometimes the tooth movement is sequenced so that movements in one arch coincide with movements in the other arch.  There is no way to tell without having a lot more information about your treatment -- information which your dentist will have.

Good luck!

Kevin Fitzpatrick, DDS, MS