How far into treatment did looseness begin for you?

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#1 Post by **QKate** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:53 am

Helo,
I am 2 weeks into a 12-18 month braces treatment. I have read a lot on this board that teeth have to get loose in order to move. I am wondering when this has hapened for people, how long it lasted. Also, did it go away once the teeth got into place? I am not looking forward to that feeling!!! I guess I want to hear others' experiences with it so if it happens I have things in my mind to comfort myself! Thanks.
By the way, being 2 weeks into treatment, even though it's not too awful- I want to say I have a ton of respect for those of us doing this!!! It will be worth it, but it also is giving me a kindof enduring strength!

#2 Post by **rsprouse** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:00 am

The 5 second explanation of orthodontics is that braces create directed forces on teeth. This controlled force will cause the bone on one side of the tooth to be broken down and on the other side of the tooth it is remodeled. The end result is a feeling of mobility or "looseness" in your teeth. The extent and when it happens will vary on many different variables. But chances are you will feel it to some extent at some point in treatment. It will likely last for a good 6 months after your braces are removed as everything stabilizes and returns to normal. Thus the importance of wearing your retainers.

Good Luck,
Rory

#3 Post by **dubnobass** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:22 am

The explanation I had from my orthdontist is that it takes 6-8 weeks of continuous pressure to break down the ligaments which hold the teeth in place in the bone, and another 9-12 months to rebuild the ligaments once the teeth are settled. The bone remodelling happens while the teeth are loose and moving.

From a practical point of view, I seem to remember not noticing my teeth move until after they had started to occasionally 'click' when pressure was put on them, which did indeed take about 2 months. After the 'clicks' had been and gone, my teeth became very mobile and moved very quickly. They're still wobbly because they're still being moved, but as my arches have become more aligned, they have wobbled less, as the teeth support each other once they are correctly aligned.

#4 Post by **platinum** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:32 am

It took 8 weeks to get one of my upper laterals to move. It just felt loose suddenly and moved a lot after that.

#5 Post by **QKate** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:25 pm

did it ever feel reallt scary to anyone when the teeth are loose? does it feel like when you are a child, and that the teeth could fall out?
As I have mentioned I already have generalized bone loss. So I am already scared of losing the teeth! I am pretty sure it will be fine but it sounds scary to me!

#6 Post by **ilovemacs** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:59 pm

I've only had braces (tops only, bottoms 2 months away) for 20 days; some teeth have become noticeably loose, not fall out of my mouth loose though. It was within 1 day or 2 of getting them on. But with orthodontics everything varies person to person!

#7 Post by **Delag** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:19 pm

I have been in braces one year and I have never felt like my teeth were wobbly, spongy, or loose. I have had quite a bit of movement, tenderness and I have heard the occasional click, but I never felt them loose. Mind you, this is coming from a woman who dreams that her teeth are all falling out on a regular basis and totaly hates anyone touching her teeth.

#8 Post by **QKate** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:20 pm

Today I am feeling pressure on my four lower front teeth, which are the area the tornado of past periodontal issues hit the hardest. In other words- a lot less support than my other teeth. So I am feeling movement and pressure on those teeth and it frightens me a bit!

#9 Post by **Rainy** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:45 pm

QKate, you need to find my story in the Braces Stories section to hear about my loose teeth. I am now about 3 weeks from my first adjustment. My teeth are still loose but no longer hurt. I have new teeth that get loose all the time. Some after a day or 2 are not loose anymore some are staying that way.

Rainy

#10 Post by **rsprouse** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:50 pm

There are two different points in this discussion. The first is that you may or may not have a feeling of "looseness" in your teeth as you continue through treatment. The other point is actual mobility, meaning that the tooth can be moved noticeably. Normal healthy teeth have physiologic mobility, meaning that when pressure is applied the teeth will move slightly. There are varying degrees of mobility and typically correspond with progressing periodontal disease. In the case of orthodontics, it is normal and acceptable. Most everyone will have some varying degree of class II or III mobility throughout treatment. If a tooth moves, I am pretty comfortable in saying that you will likely have some form of mobility in it before the attachment apparatus regenerates. You will likely not notice it, but it is there. If you feel any mobility, just be happy that things are splinted for support.

And if you are *really* a worry wart, I have seen many a toof with virtually no bone around anything other than the apex and it still didn't fall out. So no worries about that happening

Best,
Rory

#11 Post by **QKate** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:00 am

Rainy, I will look up your story.

Rsprouse- are you in the dental profession to have seen people with extreme bone loss? My bottom four fron teeth have just the tip, really, in bone! Other than occasionally feeling looseness as I discussed here, however, they are not really mobile. They did have a "1" degree of mobility- so I guess a little, when dentists have checked them. But the dentists also told me on regular folks these can wiggle a tiny bit too.

I am curious about the people you have seen with no bone practically. What held the teeth in, the roots?
As usual, thanks so much to everyone who responds to these discussions!

#12 Post by **cosmicgirl** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:12 am

Hi Kate!
After two weeks in braces, my front teeth started clicking when I pushed them, but after the first adjustment (4 weeks in), they felt nice and snug again. However, three weeks later, they're feeling and ARE definitely loose as I found to my horror last night when flossing - I could push them back and forth AAARGH!!! Lovely for a halloween trick! They're still clicking away, but I have my second adjustment next Saturday, so I can live with it!
As the others have written, it's how braces work - the teeth have to loosen up in order to move into the right place. At least the wires are keeping them in our mouths! I must admit it was a weird feeling when the ortho changed the wires - I could imagine my old gnashers waving like (yellowing) leaves in the breeze...

#13 Post by **rsprouse** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:53 pm

QKate wrote: Rsprouse- are you in the dental profession to have seen people with extreme bone loss? My bottom four fron teeth have just the tip, really, in bone! Other than occasionally feeling looseness as I discussed here, however, they are not really mobile. They did have a "1" degree of mobility- so I guess a little, when dentists have checked them. But the dentists also told me on regular folks these can wiggle a tiny bit too.

I am curious about the people you have seen with no bone practically. What held the teeth in, the roots?
As usual, thanks so much to everyone who responds to these discussions!

Yes I am a Dentist, but don't interpret my comments as professional advice. You gotta pay for that

If you have +1 mobility then more than the tip of your teeth are in bone. If you have severe periodontal disease or insufficient bone levels then you likely would not be receiving orthodontic treatment. I'll bet you have some bone loss, but it is not extreme. Of course the only way to know for sure is via radiographs.

Teeth that are "flappin' in the breeze" are held in place by the soft tissue. You could just pull it out without any major resistance. It is very rare to see a tooth with no bone around it. More often than not the tooth was extracted before it got to that place due to decay or infection.

Best,
Rory