Skip to main content
Monthly Archives

February 2012

Getting Snap-on Smile online

By Snap-on Smile

I heard of a company called ____________that lets you get snap on smile online.  They send you the kit to make the impressions at your house and send it to the lab so you don’t have to go to the doctor’s office. The company had some bad reviews about people who paid their money but didn’t get their order. I don’t really trust that company, but wondered what other online company you’d recommend.

Brent W.- Little Rock

Brent,

There is a reason there are bad reviews for a company that says you can get Snap-on Smile online. Any company that tries to sell you that service isn’t being honest with you. There is much more to Snap-on Smile than taking your impressions. But even with just the impressions, there is a lot more to it than this company has led you to believe. The impressions have to be done without any distortions. Not even all dental assistants are capable of doing that.

Impressions aside, there are many other reasons it can’t be done with an at-home kit. Snap-on Smile is made by the Den-Mat Company. You’ll have to tell their lab, the exact shading you want for the smile in dental terminology, as well as how much facial bulk to allow. After that, you’ll need to know how to fit it to your bite. In most cases, even after it comes back from the lab, it isn’t a perfect fit and will have to be adjusted which requires special tools. If a company is telling you that you can get it by buying a kit online and avoiding the dentist, they are lying to you.

There is another reason you shouldn’t order Snap-on Smile from an online company. The Den-Mat company is required by law to only fill orders from licensed dentists. In order for an online company to place an order they would have to misrepresent themselves that you were treated by a licensed dentist. I’d avoid this at all costs.

If price is a consideration for why you’re wanting to skip the dental office, you could shop around and see where you can get them the least expensively. Be aware though that you’re probably sacrificing appearance for price. Generally, the higher priced dentists have more artistic skill and are in higher demand. But, to give you a place to start shopping around, for the six front teeth the lab cost is $250.  For all the upper teeth the lab cost is $400. What each dentist charges above those lab fees varies from dentist to dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Dentures make me gag

By Dental Implants

I recently had to get dentures because of some teeth that needed to be pulled. I am having such a hard time wearing it because it makes me gag. Can you help me?

Emily B.-Arkansas

Emily,

Occasionally denture wearers complain about gagging, especially if the plate has to cross their palate. My recommendation is to get dental implants instead. With dental implants, a titanium post is surgically placed into your jawbone to serve as your tooth root, and a crown is placed on top to serve as your tooth. It is an ideal solution for replacing missing teeth, and is the closest you can come to having your own teeth back. There is no gagging, because nothing will cross your palate.

There is an additional benefit too, of preserving your jawbone. Your dentist may have already warned you, but when you have a tooth removed, your body begins reabsorbing the minerals from your jawbone. So, while your denture may last, your jawbone won’t. Placing an implant into the jawbone signals to your body that your tooth is still there and it retains the bone.

Hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Close Menu