Worried sick!

[38Illinois]

Well, I had my braces removed on Nov 1st. 24 days later I still have several loose teeth. I can literally wiggle several teeth with my finger. I am worried sick that they will not firm up. I have talked with my ortho, but he says not to worry although I feel he is just protecting himself. I asked if I had root resorption and he stated some blunting. What should I do? Anyone else experience loose teeth after debanding that took months to settle? Thank you.

[TumbleDryLow]

This is completely normal. Your ortho should have explained some basic biology to alleviate your fears. I'm no expert, but here's what I do know: When your braces were on and moving your teeth the roots of your teeth moved thru the jaw bone. The pressure of the wire broke the bone down on one side of the tooth, tooth moved into that new position, and then the bone built back up on the other side where your tooth just came from--over and over. And then your braces were removed. When your braces are removed your teeth are in the proper positions however the bone has not yet had a chance to full build up around the final positions of the teeth. The building back up takes awhile. It can actually take up to a year for the bone to fully form around your teeth (usually sooner, but everyone is different) and this is why full time retainer wear is usually prescribed by most orthos for the first 6-12 months. The retainer holds the teeth in their final positions so the bone can fully solidify with the teeth in their proper positions. But up until that bone fully forms--your teeth can and do wiggle. You will find this sensation subsides more and more with each passing month. Stop worrying--you're fine!