Q.
Could I wear an aligner at night for the rest of my life? I had a molar out 9 months ago and I am worried about my teeth moving because of the gap. Because of bone loss I can not have an implant without significant bone grafting which frankly I do not like the sound of. Dentures also do not really attract me. At the moment I am wearing a retainer at night, could I just continue doing this? Would it cause any problems? It seems like the simplest, cheapest and least painful solution.
A.
It is difficult to give you advice without full understanding of your situation. If you are missing a tooth you could wear a retainer at night as long as it is not allowing any of your teeth to shift out of position. This is a simple solution to maintaining tooth position. However, I understand the idea of a bone graft and implant sounds difficult and painful but it is a realtively simple procedure. I would reconsider the bone graft and implant as a bestter long term solution. Dr. Lemongello