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braces and teeth roots

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:35 pm
by QKate
Hello, I am a 33 year old woman scheduled to get braces some time around May. I have about 40% bone loss due to periodontal disease and have gotten the disease gone, through surgeries, which also cut away bone and gum. Anyway- I am in the clear for braces, and had to visit many until I found one who is supposed to be quite competent- because others were not interested in working with me and my diminished bone. I had heard that sometimes adult braces can cause teeth to end up looser, perhaps temporarily? So this is my first question, does this in fact happen? Especially with not the full bone? Then today a friend mentioned to me that braces can cause teeth roots to shorten and weaken. My good roots are one thing I have going that is helping me keep my teeth, which I want to keep for my whole life! Is this somehting to be concerned about? If it does weaken the roots, does this make the teeth less likely to stay in? Thanks for nay advice[/b]

response

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:59 pm
by QKate
Hi, thank you for your response- . So, you found these teeth to be really really loose? this scares me! From your calm tone I am hoping this was only temporary and they tightened up again? Is this so? Did they fully tighten up or are they still looser than before braces?

sorry!

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:48 pm
by QKate
Yeah I guess I did that- at first I was generally asking about the teeth roots, then secondly I got to thinking about general looseness and bone loss. I could take them both away and rephrase the question into one, or should I just leave it?

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:09 pm
by ngbraces
Hi q,

I have low bone density (osteopenia) on my spine and hips and I'm currently taking Boniva. I told my ortho during consult but she didn't say anything about that (and I wanted to fix my crookedness so much that I didn't insist replies either :oops: ). A couple of weeks after the braces went on, I joined the forum and read some posts, I asked my ortho again if I needed to see a perio doctor due to my osteopenia, she told me not to worry, she did check and see my teeth and gum healthy, and she would take the process slowly. So far, my treatment is going OK, I didn't feel any teeth loose... yet! The extraction of my upper left premolar went well. I'm now wearing retraction spring to close the gap because the teeth on 2 sides of the gap are so stubborn, they didn't move with a power chain, and I think it may be a good sign that my bones and teeth roots are fine. In your case, please emphasize your concerns with your ortho because you had gum disease in the past which needs more attention in the brace process.

Good luck to you.

Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:37 am
by amd
Hi Q and Welcome. The other person Karen is referring to goes by Labyrinth. She as well as I, suffer from very serious root resorption. The process of moving teeth through orthodontics does indeed have an added risk of root resorption. In my case the ortho was very clear that this is a very serious risk in my case and that it would require more planning/coordination on her part.
She will not use Speed Braces/Self Ligating braces because the pressure or force on the teeth is stronger with these which could cause the root resorption to increase. She is using a MINI-TWIN Sondhi (Dr Sondhi) bracket which is in her words "sloppy". They allow more movement and are gentler with pressure. She explained that with short roots she wants to move the teeth as slowly as possible. My treatment also includes 3 month check ups with my dentist for regular evaluation of my gums and xrays every 5-6 months to monitor possible root shortening.
I don't have braces to just straighten my teeth. My underbite is a major contributing factor to my root and gum problems. The only way to fix this is through braces and surgery. I'm doing this to - hopefully - save my teeth.
Make sure that before the braces go on you ask your orthodontist everything you can think of. Get all of the extra consults like with a perio done as well. ASK ASK ASK . Make sure that your ortho not only answers your questions but answers them in a way which you clearly understand!

Best of luck.

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:00 am
by barbienightmare
Im glad I just read all this! I have a wobbley tooth at the front , and its been bothering me , only slightly wobbly like with a finger , but it feels dead weird , Im so aware of it all the time .... its definately moved too as I can feel it on my front top teeth now .
was hopeing it was due to it being on the move and now Im a more at peace with it from reading here !!

ps I have slight bone loss onn one side where teeth came out years ago and adult didnt grow , I gather my scans /xray thing came back with it being no too much of a problem, I didnt really take every thing in about what my ortho says because Im naughty and didnt listen properly I was too excited about it all , so most of what Is happening to my mouth over the next 2 years has gone in one ear and out the other ! :oops:

It will all be a surprise as I re-find out stuff Ive been told already !

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:30 pm
by lilleth
Well, I have (so far) some good news about the root resorption issue. I posted here several times in the past about my adventures in orthodontics. I had ortho when I was a teen, over 30 years ago. I had some oral surgery and one impacted tooth that was surgically exposed and brought down with the braces. In that area I now have a tooth with significant root resorption (#10) and an adjacent one with mild resorption. My dentist had watched this tooth, which was somewhat loose, but had never told me the extent of the problem. When my orthodontist first did the evaluation, he pointed this out to me and told me I should be aware of the possibility of loss in the future. So, I spent months going to endodontist, oral surgeon, and prosthodontist for evaluations and exchanging email and calls with my ortho's practice manager. All these specialists said I should get the tooth pulled right away and get an implant! Well, my ortho said that in his opinion natural tooth surface is always preferable to fake and to hang on to what I have and just see what happens. I was so nervous about taking the plunge and getting the braces. It's been 2 years and counting, my braces have been, compared with 30 years ago, relatively painfree, my ortho and staff have been very gentle, and that tooth is actually more stable than it was before we started. The jury is still out since the wire could be providing stability, but my last panaromic showed my roots at same length as when we started. My bite is much improved.

Now, my ortho is really a nice guy and all his staff members are wonderful. He seems quite talented and recently was named ortho of the year by a local parents' publication. I saw 4 others before I met and selected him. One of the others took a panoramic and said my roots looked great - go figure. So you do need to do due diligence and make sure, as another writer posted, that you ask all the questions and understand the answers before going forward. And talk to other people who have used your orthodontist.

Good luck!