Teeth decalcifying with braces

[piichinu]

Wtf so I've always known this was a thing but I recently looked it up online and it's WAY worse than I thought
Can orthodontists tell when this is happening while you still have braces in? If yes will they tell you? I have a really good orthodontist but he hasn't said anything to me so am I probably okay??

I take care of my teeth but I still scheduled an appointment with my dentist so I could ask him 2 help me...I just want to be reassured. I'm hoping they can tell if there are problems before getting them off.

 

[apharel]

I've just started dental school, so I don't know a lot but I've worked at an orthodontist office during my undergrad.

Are you getting your bi-annual cleanings in? Do you use inter-dental brushes with a fluoridated toothpaste between your brackets? (I know there may be controversy around fluoridation, but from a dental perspective- it's a good thing.) If you do these things then you shouldn't have a problem!

The biggest problem, however, is root absorption if you have braces on for too long- look it up lol. If your dentist notices it during your cleaning, they will advise you to stop wearing braces. My orthodontist always advised me to bring an x-ray back after my cleaning.

 

[piichinu]

I've just started dental school, so I don't know a lot but I've worked at an orthodontist office during my undergrad.

Are you getting your bi-annual cleanings in? Do you use inter-dental brushes with a fluoridated toothpaste between your brackets? (I know there may be controversy around fluoridation, but from a dental perspective- it's a good thing.) If you do these things then you shouldn't have a problem!

The biggest problem, however, is root absorption if you have braces on for too long- look it up lol. If your dentist notices it during your cleaning, they will advise you to stop wearing braces. My orthodontist always advised me to bring an x-ray back after my cleaning.

i missed one cleaning, sadly. ): so the one i just scheduled is a bit late but better than nothing i hope.

i dont have fluoridated toothpaste, but thats one of the things i read about so i was gonna ask my dentist about it when i see him on saturday. i just use a regular manual toothbrush and try to brush at all angles possible. used to use electronic but they drive me crazy so i stopped.

i once had braces in 4th grade and when i got them off, my teeth were perfect. but now im in phase II so i have to get them again and i wont lie but im not taking as much care of my teeth as i did back then, which is my #1 concern. ive had these braces since freshman year in august and now im a senior and its august which is a lot longer but i had some delays cuz i wasnt wearing my rubber bands. i dont think thats /too/ long right?

- - - Post Merge - - -

ty for the reply btw.

 

[apharel]

Nothing wrong with a manual toothbrush. A lot of patients brush too long/too hard, which causes gum recession, which may expose the roots of your teeth, which definitely will cause sensitivity. A round toothbrush will clean better than the standard shaped toothbrush. My dentist gives them out after cleanings! There are manual ones like the ones produced by GUM, and there are also electric ones from Oral B. Angle your toothbrush away from your gums to clean under/over your brackets, and just lightly brush on your gums! My orthodontist also advised me to massage my gums with the back of my tooth brush to promote circulation and to relieve swelling.

Braces typically take 2-5 years. I think you're pushing the upper limit, but it's not too dangerous. The upper threshold of root resorption rate before it is classified as malpractice vary by state. But there is typically small amounts of root resorption for every braces patient. When its around 20% or so, your dentist or orthodontist should then proceed with caution.