Bone loss from braces

[jenny101101]

Hi all,

I've been a member of this board since Feb. 2007 but I've been MIA pretty much since I got my braces off over a year ago...sorry I've recently been having trouble with getting a gum infection on the upper left side. I went to my dentist and had to have an extremely deep cleaning(she froze me) and took a round of antibiotics. She said that I have bone loss due to having braces and it's quite severe in that upper quadron. I now have to travel 3 hours to the closest periodontist for a consult and may be looking at surgery.

Do anyone have any info on what kind of surgery I may be looking at? And what the cost is? I have insurance through work but I don't think it covers any oral surgeries, just cleaning and checkups, etc.

I'm very disappointed that I'm looking at more work in my mouth. I loved having braces and love my teeth now that they're brace-free and I really don't want anything to change my mouth and my look. I don't regret getting braces by any means, I just wish I would have known that I was at risk for bone loss, I guess. I believe the reason I only have it in that one area is that I had a tooth quite far back(close to the roof on my mouth) and it had a long way to move. Maybe it was moved too fast? I'm too young to just have degenerative bone loss and I don't have any other factors, like diabetes that can cause bone loss.

Any comments, suggestions or personal experience on this would be helpful!!

Thanks,
Jenny

[jenny101101]

Oops sorry, I meant member since 2008

[chicago29]

I've never heard of braces causing bone loss. However, I have heard of braces causing gum disease, which can lead to bone loss.

In any regard, my guess (and it is only a guess) is you will need bone grafting done. Generally speaking, this is not that invasive of a procedure and it is done in office with a periodontist. The level of difficulty would be determined by exactly how they are getting the new bone. If they use bone from your mouth or use a bone material, you're probably only looking at a week or so recovery and it is likely on par with an extraction.

If they need to harvest bone from your hip, I think you need to have that done in a surgical center. The recovery is a bit more just because I've heard it can be quite painful in the hip area. In any regard, I think you're still up and about in a couple of days.

Best of luck to you!

-Chicago29

[bb]

I've heard of bone loss from moving teeth too quickly or even just because you are genetically predisposed to this problem.
I'm sorry this is happening to you.
At least there seems to be a solution for you and you'll not lose any teeth from this.
good luck.

[jenny101101]

Thanks for the replies Chicago29 and bb

Yes, I think it may be a bit of both: the braces and being predispositioned to this condition. I now have another antibiotic and I'm seeing my dentist tomorrow. My gum is killing me and I awoke this morning at 3 a.m. in extreme pain. I had to take my retainers out and could not put them back in. I've been eating advil like candy(I know, not good). Hopefully the penicillan will kick in soon!

If anyone has similar experiences, please feel free to share them with me. I think I need reassurance that everything will be o.k.

Jenny

[sleskinen]

Hi. I was braced for 22 months with metal braces and then got permanent AND Essix retainers. I was wondering how your case had progressed with the periodontist. The reason for my inquiry is that I'm going through a VERY similar situation with the bone loss problem. Long story, short: I had to have all 4 lower incisors pulled and bone grafts done last month. I was in severe pain and when the permanent retainers were removed, those teeth were very mobile. I have another 5 months to go before implant posts can be installed and then another 6 months before the implant crowns can be installed. So that means that I will have a huge gap in my smile zone for a year!!! (I have a temporary that I have to take out to eat and at night to hide it). I never had gum disease, got my teeth cleaned every 3 months during the braces and was one of the few people that brushed every time I ate. The braces were put on to correct crowding of the 4 lower incisors. Not sure exactly why it happened. I think we're in the same boat...braces and a predisposition to bone loss. Sigh. Just wanted to let you know that I empathize with your problem. Hang in there!

Stephaney

[Minerva]

Hello,

Do anyone have any info on what kind of surgery I may be looking at? And what the cost is?

I don't, but the papers the ortho. has given me say I have gum recession ( due to bad bite)

with possible bone loss, and he wants me to see a periodontist before fully discussing braces

even though he has already told me to consider SARPE.

so I'm interested in this subject too.

Is periodontics considered to be part of dental or medical when it comes to insurance?

Good luck with your appointment.

M.

[WiredRunner]

Periodontics is considered dental in regards to insurance.

[Becky San Diego]

does calcium prevent bone loss?

[Minerva]

Hi Becky,

To the contrary of what some allopathic doctors want the general

public to believe, bone can be rebuilt using natural methods, and it

is done. I see it as a contradiction for them to say that while

bone grows in the middle once the palate is cut open ( Sarpe),

bone loss caused by gum recession is irreversible. Isn't bone

that regardless of where it is?

I'm looking into that subject now. Feel free to PM me.