Metal Mouth Message Board

Gosh I really am an idiot!!! I managed to delete (edit!) my original post about how my brace journey began...I really feel like a dumbo!!

But anyway, to start again from the start -

I have always wanted to get braces as I have some really big gaps between my teeth (especially the front ones), but never got around to it - and now it is more like I HAVE to rather than an option.

Going back to last year january - when I went for a dental checkup after like 4-5 years (yes, yes, I have been LAZY!!!) the dentist discovered some major perio problems with my gums + teeth and was sent immediately to a perio specialist to save my teeth which she said would fall off if no immediate action is taken.

The perio (I guess I lucked out here 'coz my perio is a gem and really quite thorough!!) checked and right from the beginning said that whatever they do immediately will be first to arrest the advancement of periodontal disease....which seems to be inhrited genes rather than my carelessness (surprising as neither my parents nor siblings have perio/dental problems). Anyway, right in the beginning of the treatment we decided that IF (a BIG IF) my teeth ever become strong enough to withstand the stress of braces, I would get braces.

Then started a rather rigorous treatment plan with deep scaling and root planing using some mean looking ultrasonic scaler (ouch!!) - which was done in stages. Then came gum surgeries (see pics below) and I had to loose a tooth (upper left molar) as it was too bad to save...and of course I had to "prove" all along by keeping excellent dental/gum hygiene that I can take the next step. I was told that any dental work done (perio and otherwise) is always a combination of the patient and the doctor...if I dont deliver my part of the deal, then there is no use in going on. Needless to say that I have been slogging like anything to keep my teeth clean (takes me around 20 min to complete my brushing routine!!!)

Anyway, I finally got the green light in June this year to get braces...and am now waiting to get my braces finally - next tuesday (19th). It has been a long and patient wait for me. Will be keeping my posts updated - not only to have a record myself but also to tell those of you having severe perio problems and wanting braces, that have heart, all is not lost. There is hope at the end of the tunnel as they say.

Well, what I meant by saying that at this stage braces is not optional, but necessary because as my gums are rather weak, my teeth have a tendency of moving - and the only way they can move is outwards - my bite has changed, my uppers and lowers are no longer aligned and the gaps between my teeth that once was ok is HUGE now...and if dont bring back my teeth in correct position, they may become worse.

After braces, I will most probably have to have around 8-10 extractions as those teeth are in too bad shape to be left in - and they will be replaced by permanant prosthetics ... so braces is only the second step.

The saga will continue....

Wow - we could be twins when you look at our periodontal history. (You had the right term, by the way.) I am also in braces because of periodontal problems. I'm hopeful that I will keep my teeth a bit longer because of the orthodontia. My biggest problem is my lower front teeth. Is that where your troubles are? Prior to braces, my lower front teeth were visibly wiggly, and I had to have a temporary splint on them to keep them from moving. It really creeped me out! They are still wiggly, but held in place somewhat by the braces. I'm hoping that a permanent retainer at the end of treatment will hold them in place. For now, it's scary even to bite into a soft sandwich!

Wow, am I glad to hear from you guys!!!

I was absolutely sure that I was the only person in this world with such a LOOOONG dental treatment and that no one else could be so unlucky/careless with their teeth. I guess it is more of getting the short end of the genes stick - as my dentist told me that it is extremely rare to have the kind of periodontal problems that I had at my age (in late 30’s) - and the only explanation he could think of was genetic where the saliva has a tendency of coating the teeth with plaque much faster than usual.

Well, as neither my 2 siblings nor my parents have periodontal problems, I guess it is a throwback from some dormant gene (I guess I lucked out in the genes potluck!!!)

Anyway, I am really amazed to read that we have such similar experiences. Yes, I also have problem with my lower front teeth - and they feel quite loose so I don’t dare to bite anything harder than a toast (love apples, but have to slice them to eat…GRRRR!!).

Even my dentist is planning similar treatment plan as you both. I will try to post some pics from my periodontal surgeries - if I can figure out how to do…they are definitely not pleasant to look at!!!

Well, here goes - some gory pics of my perio surgery....

Upper right - the doc opened the gum flap to clean up deep sitting plaque

Front teeth - operating something that he called "frenum" - you can see the huge gap between my 2 front teeth - that I have always wanted to close...


Lower jaw - the third surgery

Very obvious that my teeth have becoem longer...as the gums receded. Now all the surgeries, sutures etc etc have healed and finally time for braces. Will post pics with my brand new braces next week...

Right now eating all my fav foods that will be big NO NO for the next couple of months....hamburgers, pizza, hard candy....YUMM YUMM

You are very brave, this looks very painful! Hang in there, it will be soooo worth it!

The wait continues....my braces will be put on in three installments - starting next tuesday (19th aug) with the last appointment for braces on the 26th. Then it is planned to have adjustments every 7 weeks or so, but due to my perio problems, I think I will alternate between adjustments and perio visits...all in all, a regular hello to the dentist!!

God only knows how I will manage all this with all my planned travels - had to already postpone one of the periodontal appointments - I am sure my perio will NOT be happy!! But what to do??

Thank you all for leaving comments - all help and encouragement will be a BIG help!!! I who was scared to death of shots when younger.....gosh how life changes!!

As I said before, the saga continues....

Hi, bracessweden.
I think you have been very brave with all the perio surgery - the braces will be a pleasure after all that AND well worth it.

I couldn't find all of your story so don't know all the background - how were your perio probs disgnosed, did you have extractions? I'm interested cause I've had perio probs too (as Ken says, we cld have a perio club..). I had two bouts of root planning on the lower arch and one on the top, and was threatened with surgery. I thgt the needles for what I had were really horrible and was v. scared each time, and you must have been through so much more... My gums are badly receded due to the disease and also as they healed after the planning. I also had 2 wisdom teeth out (1 badly impacted and which was causing a lot of gum probs and which my old retired dentist sld have taken out years ago) and 2 lower molars. BUT I was really grateful to the periodontist for saving my teeth.. It was him that suggested I get braces as he knew I was so embarrassed by my front tooth hanging down (click on www to see). I clearly remember his words last Sept: 'they will look so much better', and I'm certain that in the end they will... The other major thing I'm aiming to correct is the gap between my front teeth - this should have warned my old (now retired) dentist that there was something major going wrong with my teeth, but as I didn't have any pain it somehow didn't.
'Cause of bone loss my ortho is going quite slowly and carefully with the wires ie not putting too much strain on my teeth. As Ken suggests, your ortho might do the same...

Sorry if this is a bit long, but it is really nice to 'meet' someone who has had similar problems.
Good luck with the braces! By the way, as you've had gum disease you'll probably notice major movement quite early on, which will be really nice...

All the best, LITT.





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Hi, bracessweden.
I think you have been very brave with all the perio surgery - the braces will be a pleasure after all that AND well worth it.

I couldn't find all of your story so don't know all the background - how were your perio probs disgnosed, did you have extractions? I'm interested cause I've had perio probs too (as Ken says, we cld have a perio club, and with catfish too..). I had two bouts of root planning on the lower arch and one on the top, and was threatened with surgery. I thgt the needles for what I had were really horrible and was v. scared each time, and you must have been through so much more... My gums are badly receded due to the disease and also as they healed after the planning. I also had 2 wisdom teeth out (1 badly impacted and which was causing a lot of gum probs and which my old retired dentist sld have taken out years ago) and 2 lower molars. BUT I was really grateful to the periodontist for saving my teeth.. It was him that suggested I get braces as he knew I was so embarrassed by my front tooth hanging down (click on www to see). I clearly remember his words last Sept: 'they will look so much better', and I'm certain that in the end they will... The other major thing I'm aiming to correct is the gap between my front teeth - this should have warned my old (now retired) dentist that there was something major going wrong with my teeth, but as I didn't have any pain it somehow didn't.
'Cause of bone loss my ortho is going quite slowly and carefully with the wires ie not putting too much strain on my teeth. As Ken suggests, your ortho might do the same...

Sorry if this is a bit long, but it is really nice to 'meet' someone who has had similar problems.
Good luck with the braces! By the way, as you've had gum disease you'll probably notice major movement quite early on, which will be really nice...

All the best, LITT.





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Hi, bracessweden.
I think you have been very brave with all the perio surgery - the braces will be a pleasure after all that AND well worth it.
I couldn't find all of your story so don't know all the background - how were your perop probs disgnosed, did you have extractions? I'm interested cause I've had perio probs too (as Ken says, we cld have a perio club..). I had two bouts of root planning on the lower arch and one on the top, and was threatened with surgery. I thgt the needles for what I had were really horrible and was v. scared each time, and you must have been through so much more... My gums are badly receded due to the disease and also as they healed after the planning. I also had 2 wisdom teeth out (1 badly impacted and which was causing a lot of gum probs and which my old retired dentist sld have taken out years ago) and 2 lower molars. BUT I was really grateful to the periodontist for saving my teeth.. It was him that suggested I get braces as he knew I was so embarrassed by my front tooth hanging down (click on www to see). I clearly remember his fateful words last Sept: 'they will look so much better'. The other major thing I'm aiming to correct is the gap between my front teeth - this should have warned my old dentist (now retired) that there was something major going wrong with my teeth, but as I didn't have any pain it somehow didn't.
'Cause of bone loss my ortho is going quite slowly and carefully with the wires ie not putting too much strain on my teeth. As Ken suggests, your ortho might do the same...
Sorry if this is a bit long, but it is really nice to 'meet' someone who has had similar problems.
Good luck with the braces! By the way, as you've had gum disease you'll probably notice major movement quite early on, which will be really nice...
All the best, LITT.









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Hi, bracessweden.
I think you have been very brave with all the perio surgery - the braces will be a pleasure after all that AND well worth it.
I couldn't find all of your story so don't know all the background - how were your perop probs disgnosed, did you have extractions? I'm interested cause I've had perio probs too (as Ken says, we cld have a perio club..). I had two bouts of root planning on the lower arch and one on the top, and was threatened with surgery. I thgt the needles for what I had were really horrible and was v. scared each time, and you must have been through so much more... My gums are badly receded due to the disease and also as they healed after the planning. I also had 2 wisdom teeth out (1 badly impacted and which was causing a lot of gum probs and which my old retired dentist sld have taken out years ago) and 2 lower molars. BUT I was really grateful to the periodontist for saving my teeth.. It was him that suggested I get braces as he knew I was so embarrassed by my front tooth hanging down (click on www to see). I clearly remember his fateful words last Sept: 'they will look so much better'. The other major thing I'm aiming to correct is the gap between my front teeth - this should have warned my old dentist (now retired) that there was something major going wrong with my teeth, but as I didn't have any pain it somehow didn't.
'Cause of bone loss my ortho is going quite slowly and carefully with the wires ie not putting too much strain on my teeth. As Ken suggests, your ortho might do the same...
Sorry if this is a bit long, but it is really nice to 'meet' someone who has had similar problems.
Good luck with the braces! By the way, as you've had gum disease you'll probably notice major movement quite early on, which will be really nice...
All the best, LITT.









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Hi, bracessweden.
I think you have been very brave with all the perio surgery - the braces will be a pleasure after all that AND well worth it.
I couldn't find all of your story so don't know all the background - how were your perop probs disgnosed, did you have extractions? I'm interested cause I've had perio probs too (as Ken says, we cld have a perio club..). I had two bouts of root planning on the lower arch and one on the top, and was threatened with surgery. I thgt the needles for what I had were really horrible and was v. scared each time, and you must have been through so much more... My gums are badly receded due to the disease and also as they healed after the planning. I also had 2 wisdom teeth out (1 badly impacted and which was causing a lot of gum probs and which my old retired dentist sld have taken out years ago) and 2 lower molars. BUT I was really grateful to the periodontist for saving my teeth.. It was him that suggested I get braces as he knew I was so embarrassed by my front tooth hanging down (click on www to see). I clearly remember his fateful words last Sept: 'they will look so much better'. The other major thing I'm aiming to correct is the gap between my front teeth - this should have warned my old dentist (now retired) that there was something major going wrong with my teeth, but as I didn't have any pain it somehow didn't.
'Cause of bone loss my ortho is going quite slowly and carefully with the wires ie not putting too much strain on my teeth. As Ken suggests, your ortho might do the same...
Sorry if this is a bit long, but it is really nice to 'meet' someone who has had similar problems.
Good luck with the braces! By the way, as you've had gum disease you'll probably notice major movement quite early on, which will be really nice...
All the best, LITT.









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sorry - this ended up as a multiple post..

Hi, bracessweden.
I think you have been very brave with all the perio surgery - the braces will be a pleasure after all that AND well worth it.
I couldn't find all of your story so don't know all the background - how were your perio probs disgnosed, did you have extractions? I'm interested cause I've had perio probs too (as Ken says, we cld have a perio club, with catfish too..). I had two bouts of root planning on the lower arch and one on the top, and was threatened with surgery. I thgt the needles for what I had were really horrible and was v. scared each time, and you must have been through so much more... My gums are badly receded due to the disease and also as they healed after the planning. I also had 2 wisdom teeth out (1 badly impacted and which was causing a lot of gum probs and which my old retired dentist sld have taken out years ago) and 2 lower molars. BUT I was really grateful to the periodontist for saving my teeth.. It was him that suggested I get braces as he knew I was so embarrassed by my front tooth hanging down (click on www to see). I clearly remember his fateful words last Sept: 'they will look so much better'. The other major thing I'm aiming to correct is the gap between my front teeth - this should have warned my old dentist (now retired) that there was something major going wrong with my teeth, but as I didn't have any pain it somehow didn't.
'Cause of bone loss my ortho is going quite slowly and carefully with the wires ie not putting too much strain on my teeth. As Ken suggests, your ortho might do the same...
Sorry if this is a bit long, but it is really nice to 'meet' someone who has had similar problems.
By the way, as you've had gum disease you'll probably notice major movement quite early on, which will be really nice...
All the best, LITT.




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Just to add, good luck with the braces! LITT.

same thing as earlier -wish I could work out how to delete posts..!