root absortion after braces removal

[Judythebeagle]

I am 58 years old and had my braces taken off in September 2004. I was recently told by my regular dentish that one of my top front teeth is destroying itself from the inside. He called it root reabsoration, I looked this up on the internet and found this is also known as pink tooth of mummery. The tooth is literally turning pink. He said it was caused by trauma to a tooth but I do not recall getting a mouth injury. The articles I found said it could also be caused by slow, steady pressure to a tooth over a period of time and specifically mentions having worn braces as a cause. The article suggests a root canal as a way to stabilize this condition but my regular dentist says this would not work. The articles are all from professional journals. He said eventually the tooth will break and I will need an implant. It has been about 2 months and so far no problem. Has anyone else had this problem after the removal of braces? Has anyone had this problem treated successfully by a root canal? Has anyone else had this treated in some other way that avoided the need for an implant?

[Lizbeth]

How long did you have the braces in place? According to Dr. Rizkallah, Ortho, very long treatment's of 3 years or more can cause significant root resorption.

[Judythebeagle]

I had them on two and a half years. I just went back to the dentist last week and so far so good, the tooth is holding its own.

[PinkLeaf]

Hi Judythebeagle, my response may be late but I'd like to share my similar experience. I had my braces on for 3 years when my general dentist also told me that my x-rays showed evidence of root resorption, most likely due to my orthodontic treatment. He said that my one of my upper lateral incisors was "dying" and that I needed a root canal and crown. These both happen to be very expensive procedures. Usually, when a tooth "dies", meaning the nerve of the tooth is dying, it turns black. My tooth had no signs of discoloration. I asked him to do a test to make sure that the tooth was in fact dying, but he said it was unnecessary because the x-ray was enough proof. I was devastated, but asked him for a hard copy and digital form of the x-ray. Thank God I did! I showed the x-ray to my orthodontist. He admitted that there were signs of root resorption, but the x-ray alone was not enough to conclude that my tooth was dying. He showed the x-ray to another general dentist, who agreed with him. They both thought it was strange that my dentist didn't want to perform tests to make sure the tooth was dying. Together, we decided to get an expert's opinion: an endodontist. These are dentists who specialize in root canals. The endodontist did a few tests on my tooth and reassured me that the tooth was fine. He also said "trust me, if your tooth was dying, I'd be the first to tell you because it's my job to do root canals". This all happened three years ago and my tooth is still going strong, thank God. I quickly got a new dentist after this incident. I also learned to trust my gut. If something doesn't feel right, get a second (or third!) opinion. And find a dentist you is looking out for your teeth, not for their bank account!