Bone/gum loss with braces?

[DrBlur]

I haven't posted on here in ages! I've had my braces off since September 2012 and have been wearing retainers since then. I have my regular retainer check at my ortho's office next week, but a few weeks ago I had my cleaning at the dentist and she noticed serious gum recession and bone loss in one of my front teeth on the bottom. She said (and I've also read online and in books) that it can happen with teeth that are moved a lot during orthodontic treatment, especially in adults that get braces. This particular tooth *was* moved quite a bit, with elastics, wire ties, etc so it makes sense. Still, a bummer. I am most likely going to need a gum graft and I have my consultation with the periodontist next week.

Have any other adults who got braced in adulthood had issues like this?

(for background, I was braced at 30 in April 2010, had palate expansion surgery and a palate expander and braces, which were removed in September 2012 when I was 32, so total time in braces was 2 1/2 years)

[Marigold]

Interesting. I have veneers on both of my upper laterals and the gums around them have been red for awhile now. The braces came off in December and the redness persists. I never had this issue pre-braces. I've been wondering if teeth movement might have caused recession there. I have a dentist appointment next week and will ask about that and the recession in general.

[DrBlur]

To update, I just came back from my periodontist consultation, and I have general recession all over which is not uncommon for someone my age (34) but I have severe recession in three of my bottom front teeth, lingual side (inside) due to the braces. I need gum grafts for all of them...

[Mylovedtheeth]

Sorry for you, everyone hopes bad effects of braces do not affect themselves , but it does. I'm worry about my lower incisors in future. Hopefully treatment will works.

[DrBlur]

Thanks! I'm not too bummed out about it other than the price! My dental insurance will only pay for half of it so I'm still on the hook for a few thousand $$!! I'm going to be putting this off for a while but I do need to get it taken care of in the next year or two or else I'm at risk for losing those teeth. They're the teeth that were torqued and moved the most during my braces treatment so it's not surprising, but after everything I went through with my braces, surgery, etc, I'd be foolish not to take care of this to help my teeth.

[Nozzelnut]

Keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible now. Even if it the costs seem high.