Snaggly teeth?

I’ve just started Invisalign treatment. There are cheaper alternatives but you miss having a dentist checking everything is ok, which I think is more important as we age and have increased risks such as gum recession. After first fitting just before Christmas I had a check 3 weeks later, the next one is in another 2 weeks. The process has been virtually painless and the changes gentle - plus no one seems to notice the retainers. Most importantly, the problem that I’m trying to fix relating to an overbite and lower teeth snagging insider upper gum, is already under control and I don’t wake up to cut gums. There will be a fixed wire at the end of treatment and a nighttime retainer to prevent‘wandering’. I also couldn’t get on with a night brace (to stop grinding) but some how have no problem with these (you do have adhesive ‘bumps’ put on some teeth during treatment to ensure retainers are locked in place, so you need two hands and actively remove the retainers, not something you could do in your sleep I think :-)) I’m lucky enough to be able to afford treatment but whether you do something or choose just to embrace how you look, keep smiling- it’s good for you and good for others too!

I’ve had a sharp bit on a tooth Hetty58 and I filed it with an emery board. It’s been fine ever since.

Since I tripped over, I've had a tiny sharp corner on a front tooth (where a piece must have flaked off). Sometimes I cut my tongue on it.

My dentist flatly refuses to file it down, though, saying they only 'build up' teeth - on principle. My front teeth are large anyway - so I'm just hopping mad about it!

Funny enough, I've seen the dentist today.
I'm part way through some cosmetic work and there is lots you can have done these days to keep your teeth looking good.
Obviously it costs but if you can afford it, get it done.

I'm 67 and having brace fitted to my top teeth on 9 December. Will have to wear for a year to 18 months to correct one protruding tooth and one going backwards. I am terrified but if I don't do it now it'll just get worse and will be unable to close my mouth properly. Not a good look! I asked dentist to remove offending teeth and have implants but he refused to extract healthy teeth.

Teddl Your teeth your choice , if you want the best option tell your husband you are going for that _ stick to your gums- I mean guns !!!!! ?

I had a tooth that caught on my tongue. It became very sore, so booked a dental appointment and he filed the offending tooth down a little bit. No problems since.

I had full-on braces at the age of 37 and it was the best thing I could have done (even though for a year I felt like the oldest teenager in town). Crowded teeth can so easily lead to caries and so on. I'd ask your dentist if it's possible to refer you to an orthodontist, even if it's just for a chat about options.

I had my six front teeth bonded 2 years ago, I was really nervous but they turned out great, I love them. I didn’t go for a Hollywood white so they look natural. My teeth were uneven, worn down and one was chipped. I’d become really self-conscious about smiling.
My dentist specialises in restorative dentistry and that’s my main advice, only go to someone qualified and experienced.
It cost £3,500 over 3 very long uncomfortable sessions, it’s a complicated process in several stages. They’re designed by computer so you get to approve the overall look before they’re finally done.
Your own teeth stay in place so your gums need to be healthy as others have said. I was told they last 5 years then need redoing. Veneers apparently last 10 years but are more invasive.
My suggestion is pay for a consultation with a specialist cosmetic dentist Jillybird to get an honest opinion about your best option. For me bonding was money well spent but you need to know if it’s right for you.

Albangirl14 I sympathise. Our last appointments were just prior to Covid when my husband got an emergency, temporary, false front tooth. Still no chance of an appointment and they won't look at the false tooth issue until he's had a basic check up. I phone every month and each time get the same response, "Emergency appointments only, try next month"!

Glad to hear I am not alone in worrying about the few teeth I have left, full implants on top. Dentist said I had to treat remaining teeth like gold and when I complain about having “soft” teeth OH said they must be 24 carat ?

You have my sympathy, Jillybird

My teeth (and gums) are healthy, but have been migrating for years.

The problem is that I am still teething, with two of my four wisdom teeth still only partially erupted some 25 to 30 years after first appearing. As a result, my already overcrowded teeth are still being pushed over to make room for them, causing increasingly crooked and badly aligned teeth at the front of my mouth!

I can't bite into something like a biscuit without it disintegrating, and recently, I have noticed that I am increasingly likely to accidently spit as I talk - horrible!

I had a similar problem one of my front teeth looked like it was going into my gum, this was about 20years ago and I paid private to see an orthodentician, who explained to me that your lips mainly keep your teeth in position and teeth are very mobile.
I was a mouth breather and used to smoke .
He fitted me with a brace and I now have lovely front teeth but still have a wire behind my front teeth to keep them in position.
If it makes you feel good have it done I am 71 now

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

*and an electric toothbrush!

I’ve been using a water flosser for some years which does a good job of cleaning between the teeth. There’s a new one on the market that looks more streamlined and I am debating with myself whether to make the change. I also keep getting pop up ads for a thing you put in your mouth and it magically cleans your teeth and mouth. If I see it again I’ll take a closer look and put a link on.

My OH disapproves of my gadgetry and uses a toothbrush. He’s had several teeth removed and I’ve had one!

I have similar issues with my teeth. I had a partial upper denture fitted 2 years ago which I'm very happy with, it clips to two of my three surviving upper teeth. But my bottom teeth are beginning to 'grow longer' and 'wander' due to gaps from historical extractions, so they all look rather uneven and two are a bit wobbly. My dentist won't do anything with the wobbly teeth until they are about to fall out as she says having any teeth of your own is far better than removing them. When that time comes I'll probably have a bonded bridge to fill the gap. I understand what she means but they're not a pretty sight, though fortunately I don't really show my bottom teeth when I smile. My teeth have been my ongoing nightmare all my life, and I'm definitely getting a bit long in the tooth now, but I'm still trying to hang on to them as long as I can.

Bad teeth can be horribly aging and unhealthy. I have never needed fillings but I had Invisalign treatment to straighten my teeth and reduce my overbite when I was in my late fifties. It was expensive at over £3k, but there are now cheaper rivals on the market, so do shop around , as the invention of 3D printers has made the production of the sets of invisible plastic braces cheaper. Some dentists offer installment plans. You wear each set of clear moulded braces 20 hours a day for a week or so, while the treatment is progressing and ongoing, then wear a similar clear retainer at night only thereafter, as teeth have a habit of moving back to their original positions (which also is why straightening at any age is usually possible, if your mouth is healthy). Dental hygiene is very important as risk of gum disease increases as we get older. I visit hygienist in normal times 4 times a year, as my gums are beginning to recede with age, so keeping gums healthy is essential. I use Oral B electric tooth brush purchased on a deal at Amazon, and for the last 5 years or so I also use a tongue scraper to keep my tongue clean & healthy. The Wisdom ones cost £1.59 from Amazon and so far I have only bought one of these as they last indefinitely. I hate the TePe interdental brushes recommended by my hygienist as they keep bending, but they do remove plaque that is missed by electric toothbrush between the teeth. I have found the new silicone TePes are much better than the wire brush type.

Oh so sadly same here! It seems gum disease is responsible and when I've researched what is actually responsible for gum disease an underactive (and possibly undiagnosed) thyroid keeps coming up as a culprit.

It's horrible really isn't it? I very pathetically took a picture of me in my thirties showing my lovely teeth, with me to the judgmental dentist to illustrate I wasn't always such a demmick but I just felt like a mad old bat afterwards!

Like you Jillybird, I'm really reluctant..not to mention impecunious..to spend on what may be a very expensive mistake and, as phloembundle suggests, cosmetic bonding might be a good option. Have any grans had this procedure and can offer advice?

Oh teeth, how I have lhated, loved and hated mine lol. When I was born I had Chicken Pox, it made all my teeth very weak and pretty much hollow, like glass my lovely dentist once said...so, as I was older, I took so much care to keep them white. One front one turned inwards, so later in life I had baces which corrected them and in my 30s I had the most lovely teeth. Until I bit into a frozen twix (my fault lol) broke one of my back teeth, and to replce it would have cost me around £3000.
Sadly I have a horrible gap that I am so aware of, add to that the fact that my front teeth, once so straight now have a massive gap inbetween them (my dentist friend also told me that if you have missing teeth your other teeth 'wander' to try to fill the gaps in!!)
Honestly, for a while, I didn't smile, I hated my mouth, I couldn't afford the treatment, until my grandson asked why I wasn't smiley anymore.
that was when I decided that what happens happens. Yes I miss my nice teeth, but hey, I'm still alive! lol.

About 15 years ago I made enquiries with a dentist about getting my crooked teeth straightened. I finished up getting veneers instead - 8 in total, 4 uppers and four lowers. Can’t say it was painful but the dental work meant a couple of long days in the dentists chair filing my teeth down and fitting temporary veneers. And then another long couple of days several weeks later having the temporary ones removed and the permanent ones fitted. But I’ve never regretted it - especially I’m now in my late 70’s . This pic was taken just last week.

The most important thing as you get older is to look after your gums. Have check ups every six months and see hygeinist every six months. With careful cleaning every day I have healthy gums now. I didn't a few years ago and lost a tooth. I pay £12.50 a month on a dental plan that pays for my check ups and hygienist care.

Jillybird, I think you must have receding gums, and I don’t think there is any cure for it.

I also wonder if you have lost a great deal of weight recently, as this can affect your mouth.

Just to ‘rub it in’ my dentist is working as usual. I have had a checkup and a hygienist appointment.

Just getting to see a dentist at the moment would be good.

It’s a bit like an obstacle course.

(Should that be lithp?)

well you made me smile!

I dread the thought of being a toothless old hag! (amongst other dreads)