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This is really hard to explain but I am going to try ...
I had two teeth removed on the top and 2 on the bottom in august of 2007. The gaps are closing quickly but just today I noticed my gums on my top left side are falling down !!??? My gums are falling down over the bracket attached to my molar. This is very hard to explain but I am hoping someone knows what I am talking about. It is bothering me because it feels like i have something in my teeth. And the pressure I am feeling is really annoying.
I have an adjustment on Thursday and I am wondering if I should tell my ortho or if this is normal. Would he take the bracket off and reposition it lower down on my tooth? I feel like my molar is getting smaller and smaller as my gum continues to slip over it.
Any thoughts or ideas? Has this happened to anyone else?
Mine haven't grown over my brackets, but I do notice they are covering more of the tooth than they were when I didn't have braces. When I saw the perio, he says this is normal and swelling should go down 6-9 months after the braces are removed. You may need gum contouring if it's getting that bad, though.
I have the same situation. I visited the dentist for a regular checkup yesterday and notified them of the problem. After looking at it, they said that I had an infection in the gums that was causing them to swell..more than usual. They applied something to them and said to come back in 5 weeks and if the swelling hasn't gone down, then they would like to coordinate w/ my ortho to have that bracket removed, the tooth cleaned and bracket put back on or left off until the gum heals. My dentist previously worked for in ortho claims that there is still some cement that is under the gums that my ortho failed to clean up. It doesn't really hurt, just bleeds occasionally when brushing. A wait and see for now. Hope this helps
I have a visit with my ortho tomorrow too. It sounds like this is common but I will let him know. It feels kind of puffy like it may be swollen. Hopefully just some gum irratation and not an infection . My mom said to rinse my mouth out with warm salt water. Thats her solution to every mouth problem.
So I will keep up on that and keep my fingers crossed that it goes away because it kinda hurts now!
Please let me know how your visits go ...Good luck!
I sounds like inflamation or swelling. If that is the only area that you are having that problem, it could be a couple of things. Maybe you're having a hard time keeping that area clean, and the builup of plaque is causing inflamation. It could also be that you traumatized the area, maybe with a hard peice of food or something. either way, I would follow your dentist and orthodontist's advice. Brush the area gently, and be sure to use a soft toothbrush. flossing in the area will also help, if you have bleeding there, spend a little extra time working to get it clean.
Russell Mullen, DDS MS
Leesburg, VA
Remember: your orthodontist knows your dental history and orthodontic condition best. I can guide you toward better orthodontic information than if you were left on your own and hopefully in doing so play a small part in your quest to achieve a beautiful, fully functional smile, but you should consider your orthodontist the best source of information.
So i had my visit with the ortho today and he said that maybe some food got caught between my teeth and caused irritation. SO EVERYONE WAS RIGHT ! He removed my archwire and he picked and flossed around the area (I thought I had just blead to death after he finished!). He said nothing was stuck in there just some small pieces of something but nothing indicating food had gotten lodged in there. He said to come back next week and if the swelling didnt go down to call my dentist.
I dont have to wear my arch wire for the next week. On the bright side i can get a really great idea of what my teeth will look like without the braces! on the bad side...I dont want my teeth to go back to where they were b/c i have no archwire .
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. My mom said to rinse my mouth out with warm salt water. Thats her solution to every mouth problem.