Propel

[amp]

Hello!
Does anyone have information / experience with Propel that they can share?
Specifically - does this affect root resorption at all? (or is it better for the roots since you get out of braces sooner?) Since the teeth are moving faster, do they feel loose and mobile?
How long does it take for the bone to heel and for the punctures to heel?
Will the holes that are drilled into the bone go away and heal over time or will you have "trauma" to the bones forever? Thanks in advance. I am considering doing propel but find it very hard to find information.

[djspeece]

I did a couple of rounds of Propel close to the end of my treatment plan. The idea is that the tiny punctures via a TAD-like screw will stimulate bone remodeling and speed up tooth movement and in my case, close two stubborn gaps in front of my lower molars. Due to presumably extra dense bones, my teeth were slow to move, which caused my two year plan to be three. I was in powerchains and elastics the entire time. I had it done about 6 months before the end of my treatment, so I can't really comment if it sped things up or not. I first got treatment on both lower jaws; about 4-5 insertions and withdrawals of the screw fore and aft of the gap (depth was somewhere 3-5 mm I think; the tool used limits the penetration to what the ortho wants). That's about 16 all together. He used a gel to numb the mucosa. After a month or so, he reevaluated. There seemed to be more movement on the lower right side, not so much on the left. He repeated the Propel treatment on the left side, and applied a closing coil.
None of my teeth became loose, and the tiny punctures in the bone will heal so there is no residual. However, the treatment itself was far more painful than I had anticipated, and I have a relatively high pain threshold. For second go-round my ortho grabbed my general dentist who numbed me up with an injection -- that was much more tolerable and worth the charge. The website for Propel seems to imply that everyone can get by with just numbing the mucosa. That was not the case for me. Let me know if you have any other questions that I can help answer.

[amp]

Thanks for the response!
I am worried that since the teeth are moving faster it will affect the roots of my teeth / cause root resorption.
I know this method is different because in essence it is softening the bone around the teeth - but did your doctor express any concern about root damage or that the teeth would be moving too fast?
How long did your gums take to heal from the poking? and how many days after propel did your pain last?
Thanks again!

[amp]

Has anyone else tried propel? What was your experience like? Thanks

[Prometheus]

I had Propel treatment to intrude a stubborn 2nd molar. It worked but not nearly as fast as advertised. There was no impact on the roots as determined by a cone beam CT scan. The holes, I had seven of them drilled, are tiny and disappear quickly. I do second what Dan mentioned about the pain. The procedure was a bit unpleasant but the next day it felt like I was punched in the face by Mike Tyson. My face swelled up a fair bit. It got better in a few days, but I am in no rush to do it again!

[djspeece]

Thanks for the response!
I am worried that since the teeth are moving faster it will affect the roots of my teeth / cause root resorption.
I know this method is different because in essence it is softening the bone around the teeth - but did your doctor express any concern about root damage or that the teeth would be moving too fast?
How long did your gums take to heal from the poking? and how many days after propel did your pain last?
Thanks again!

Oh right.
No, my ortho was not particularly concerned about root resorption, at least in my case, and I did ask about this.

[DivineMsM]

Thanks for the information, this is very helpful! I had 6 rounds of chemotherapy 4 years ago and remember my bones being very soft then. So soft in fact I had a dental implant that didn't take (simply feel out of my mouth 2 weeks after insertion), even I shared my treatment information with the oral surgeon. Still have some residual side effects from chemo, maybe this will be one of them. Thanks for sharing the information!

[DivineMsM]

Saw my orthodontist Thursday and was informed that I am not a candidate for propel. He said based on my roots the very slight amount of moment that may be noticed it would not be a good use of money and I risk root damage...I appreciate his honesty and have to adjust my thinking....it's going to be another 7-11 months...

[djspeece]

Glad your ortho was so honest and straight-forward. I wouldn't do Propel again. I don't think it really did much in my case. Best of luck to you!

[Zingrrl]

Hey, late to the party. I got my Propel two weeks ago yesterday and it was a major ordeal for me (that day only). I had the first wire change yesterday and the Ortho was happy. He moved me to a stainless steel wire on the top. Seems fast and my teeth are definitely very sore today. I'm only 4 months into this journey and hopeful so far. Are you happy now? Its been a bit since your first post in this thread, so I'm curious about progress.