Metal Mouth Message Board

When I was 34, I got braces for 2 years and then went to using Essex retainers when I was 36. I wore the retainers at night every night for the first 3 years. Then I started wearing them 3 times a week (Tues, Thurs, Sat). They seemed to fit about the same as when I was wearing them nightly. After the first 6 years, my first retainers broke while being cleaned, so I switched to my backup set. I've been using them for about the past 4 years or so. Now I'm almost 47 and having some problems that I thought I should ask about. I'm curious as to whether my problems are related to having braces before, or maybe the retainers now.

At this time, I've been experiencing quite a bit of gum recession, along with sensitive teeth due to roots being exposed. I even have a tooth in the front where the gum has receded so much that my dentist said he might have to do a skin graft from the top of my mouth to place it over where the tooth connects to my mouth because if it receds any further, it will develop an infection and tooth loss of surrounding teeth. I've occasionally had pain in that spot when I touch it, but the dentist says that's normal to happen when there's that much recession.

Also, over the last year and a half I've been experiencing pain in the gum right next to the back tooth on my lower right if I apply any pressure on the inside of the gum. This happens mostly when I brush. Visually, it looks perfectly normal. My dentist says it looks fine and X-rays show nothing unusual.

Do these things sound normal after having braces? Anyone else here having experiences like this?

I've been out of braces for a couple of years, and fortunately don't have that problem. I had some preexisting recession that my dentist will treat with bonding material (this Thursday, actually). I don't know if the issue is related to your retainer or not but I tend to doubt it - I'd blame it on aging. Do you smoke?

What is this "bonding material" you speak of that they're going to use to treat your recession? I was asking my dentist and others about using something other than a skin graft to treat my recession and they all pretty much said it wasn't possible. It sure seems possible enough. Just something to cover the root with so it's not so exposed. It sure seems easy enough to do without cutting a chunk of skin off the roof of my mouth and stitching it over the root of the tooth.

To answer your question, no, I don't smoke. Never have.

Google "pinhole technique for receding gums". This is what I am going to do when the time comes (I have a few teeth with receding gums but not too serious yet). It is a newer technique that is much less invasive than traditional gum grafts. No down time, no stitches, can go back to work the same day! You just have to find a dentist who is trained to do so, which might involve a little travel, but well worth it IMO. Don't know how the cost compares, but seems like it couldn't be more than traditional gum grafting and might be less.

I've been out of braces for 11 years and have experienced a some age-related gum recession that is unrelated to wearing braces I still wear retainers regularly and have had no problems with -my teeth, which are as straight as they were the day I got my braces removed in March 2007

[quote=EmilyTravels post_id=501060 time=1521590323 user_id=30228]
Google "pinhole technique for receding gums". This is what I am going to do when the time comes (I have a few teeth with receding gums but not too serious yet). It is a newer technique that is much less invasive than traditional gum grafts. No down time, no stitches, can go back to work the same day! You just have to find a dentist who is trained to do so, which might involve a little travel, but well worth it IMO. Don't know how the cost compares, but seems like it couldn't be more than traditional gum grafting and might be less.
[/quote]

Unfortunately, the place where I'd need it doesn't have enough gum left to be expanded or stretched back over the root. But if they could just use some kind of bonding material like djspeeces was talking about, it would seem even less invasive or painful.

LED wrote: ↑Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:11 am What is this "bonding material" you speak of that they're going to use to treat your recession? I was asking my dentist and others about using something other than a skin graft to treat my recession and they all pretty much said it wasn't possible. It sure seems possible enough. Just something to cover the root with so it's not so exposed. It sure seems easy enough to do without cutting a chunk of skin off the roof of my mouth and stitching it over the root of the tooth.

To answer your question, no, I don't smoke. Never have.

It's basically just some polymer they mix up and treat with UV light to cure it. They match it to the color of your teeth. And it does just what you say -- it covers the receding root. My dentist numbed me real well, then wrapped a small string around the tooth, down fairly low, which was to help contain the bonding material. She then lightly roughed up the surface of the tooth and smoothed it on, and then meticulously shaped it. If you are in the Washington DC area, check out Stacia Krantz at Shady Grove Dental. She's terrific.

I did a quick Google and found this guy's website http://www.smilesbygeorge.com/smiles-by ... ecession/ with some information about bonding as well as an overview from WebMD https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guid ... bonding#1 . Hopefully that may help. Best of luck to you.

That sounds like what I would like to have done. I wonder why my dentist said it wouldn't work.

LED wrote: ↑Thu May 10, 2018 12:31 pm That sounds like what I would like to have done. I wonder why my dentist said it wouldn't work.

I did a quick Google search on the cons of bonding, which you probably have already done, and it seems the most common contraindications mentioned were the need to cover a large area of the tooth, and if the bonding was required below the gumline. Of course this is a great question for your dentist. A couple of links for your entertainment http://www.dentaltown.com/blog/post/201 ... l-bonding and https://cosmeticdentistrynearme.com/he ... ros-cons . Best of luck to you!