Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello-

Another day and another problem. I am on my last 4 weeks before the braces come off and I noticed something. In between my front four bottom teeth are pretty decent sized gaps by the gum line. My teeth touch and are straight, but I just noticed that my gums are now not going up between my teeth.

I am really freaking out about this. It seems like they are receding or disappearing or something. I can literally breathe between them. It is just strange how it just seemed to happen and it looks God awful being able to see through your teeth at the bottom when they are touching at the top.

Is this normal and will my gums go back to where they were just a month ago? Any info would be superb.

I'm not a doctor but i'll to try answering your question anyway. During orthodontic treatment teeth are in constant movement. That's why your gums may look swollen, irritated and slightly receded, after your braces will be removed the teeth and gums will settle themselves. In other words they adjust to your mouth characteristics, i.e swallowing behaviour, breathing, and other habits like clenching. Normally the gums will fill in the little triangles (gaps) between your teeth (i've got them too...). A retainer will protect your teeth from these forces but thats another story. Just try to relax and be really carefull brushing your gums, using a really soft toothbrush. I hope Dr J can read this aswell to give his opinion about it.

good luck and relax

"Black triangles" the most common complaint probably on adult ortho cases. This is part of the aging process that implies that you have a greater than normal distance from the contact of 2 teeth to the level of the bone. It's not caused by bad orthodontics at all. We never see this on teens and kids. It implies that you have a mild amount of periodontal attachment loss which is as common as getting some high blood pressure with aging. Not that you are old!
The only way to "fix" this is to relocate the interproximal contact of your tooth toward the gum line i.e. disking or stripping or filing of the teeth. It really helps if your teeth are wider at the edge than by the gums - triangular if you will. Some patients will just have to live with this as a byproduct of straight teeth. Others may require periodontal surgery to get some improvement.

dr.j

I'm only 22 but my ortho said he is concerned about this issue with all adult ortho cases. He said he didn't see where it would be a problem but STILL referred me to a periodontist for an evaluation of how my gums would react to orthodontic work. My ortho and the periodontist said this evaluation would detect whether the types of issues you are describing would be a problem.

dr.j wrote:"Black triangles" the most common complaint probably on adult ortho cases. This is part of the aging process that implies that you have a greater than normal distance from the contact of 2 teeth to the level of the bone. It's not caused by bad orthodontics at all. We never see this on teens and kids. It implies that you have a mild amount of periodontal attachment loss which is as common as getting some high blood pressure with aging. Not that you are old!
The only way to "fix" this is to relocate the interproximal contact of your tooth toward the gum line i.e. disking or stripping or filing of the teeth. It really helps if your teeth are wider at the edge than by the gums - triangular if you will. Some patients will just have to live with this as a byproduct of straight teeth. Others may require periodontal surgery to get some improvement.

dr.j

It does look like black triangles, as there is no gum tissue filling in between the teeth. I am only 23 and I was never told this was a possibility.

Is it possible for my gums to "refill" the spaces in between the teeth, so it no longer looks like black triangles?

Hey There,
I have this as well, between all 4 front bottom teeth, and the teeth "roots" are showing in the front and are very skinny. My gums are receded because I had a really high frenum that I just got cut last week, plus I had periodontal disease that is now under control.

I have some attached gum left, so my periodontist said that when my braces are off, she can do a surgery to pull up the gums over my teeth, she said like pulling up socks. It won't just grow back.

Hope that helps!
Sophie

Dr. J.,

Would veneers be a plausible solution to this issue I am having? My teeth do get skinnier as they go down to the gum, so I was thinking veeners would help solve this issue. What is your opinion on this?

Gum surgery sounds very painful, but I am interested in the process of pulling your gums up, or how that would work.

Veneers may help but you but that may create an unnatural contour of your teeth. I would have the cosmetic dentist do a diagnostic wax set up of your teeth to first prove to you that the veeners will not look like Chicklets like the lead singer of the stuff stuff Dolls (no disrespect to johnny resnik intended)

dr.j

^10

As someone about to get braces, uhh maybe I shouldn't? Anyone got any stats as the frequency of occurance?

my word. that would be unlivable

b3nault would you be willing to post a pic? I would much like to see what this type of thing may yeild.

Most sorry to hear about this happening to you.

- john -

Do they look like this? I had black triangles, but a few months of being braces free and being able to brush easier without brackets rubbing on your gums, and they go away..... Here's my pic of right after braces and now:

fyrelight wrote:Do they look like this? I had black triangles, but a few months of being braces free and being able to brush easier without brackets rubbing on your gums, and they go away..... Here's my pic of right after braces and now:

Very helpful pics, Pam! I've got some triangle issues and sure hope mine clear up as nicely as yours have.

Chris

Talked to my ortho assistant about this. The technical name is, embrasure spaces. I'm told they are common with adults. They schedualed me a free appointment with the doc, to give me a better idea if this will occur and to what severity. I dunno if most orthos do this, but I'm impressed.

I'm also impressed that the oral surgeon will give me a free price quote based on x-rays that the ortho across the street will provide.

Ok ok, I'm rambling.

fyrelight wrote:Do they look like this? I had black triangles, but a few months of being braces free and being able to brush easier without brackets rubbing on your gums, and they go away..... Here's my pic of right after braces and now:

They look exactly like that. Excellent picture.

I hope my gums recover well like yours.

Did you have crowding? My ortho today told me that it most often caused by crowding and crossed teeth.