Restorative work and Orthodontics
Q. Hello. I am 50 yrs old and was treated for severe periodontitis in Feb 2008. I already have overcrowded teeth and they are now protruding because of drifting. In addition I was told I suffer from bruxism. I have always had dental checkups and been assured “everything was ok” in spite of complaing about recession around a crown an pain on biting. I am destroyed by how my teeth now look and am suffering panic attacks and depression. All this was a huge shock as I had no idea. I want some restorative work, but my new dentist has suggested I think about orthodontics instead. I’m not sure the teeth will have a good appearance even if I endure it as they are now yellowing with large gaps. I have nearly sent myself mad looking at solutions on the web and am terrified of choosing the wrong dentist after a catalogue of poor treatment in the past and also am not in a postion to pay a colossal amount of money. Am I doomed to dentures? Thank you.
A. You are definately not doomed to dentures so please don’t worry yourself about that. The most important thing for you now is to make sure the gum disease does not return. This means that ideally you should see the hygienist at least every three months because this is how long it takes for the bacterial biofilm to build up in the periodontal pockets. If you are keen to have appearence corrected then braces are definately an option. The extent of movement however may depend on how much bone loss there has been and if you are not concerned about the appearance of braces this may be a very good treatment option for you.
The other option is crowns but this is more destructive to your teeth.
If you are happy with your current dentist and he has training in the fields of occlusion and restorative dentistry then ask him to send you for an orthodontic consultation. If not then you should find a dentist that does have training these fields and that has a good hygienist. I am sure that your problems can be resolved and in the worse case if you loose some teeth there is always the option of dental implants
Kind regards
The other option is crowns but this is more destructive to your teeth.
If you are happy with your current dentist and he has training in the fields of occlusion and restorative dentistry then ask him to send you for an orthodontic consultation. If not then you should find a dentist that does have training these fields and that has a good hygienist. I am sure that your problems can be resolved and in the worse case if you loose some teeth there is always the option of dental implants
Kind regards
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