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I am a 21 year old male who had braces for 4 years (13-17). I have good teeth, healthy pink gums. But I had crowing in my lower front teeth and was given invisalign type retainers after my braces. One of my lower incisors has started consistently shifting backwards at an angle, behind the adjacent tooth on one side, for the past year about. Because of this shifting, some gum recession occurred. I finally tried to get it taken care of this summer (college student).
I saw a periodontist who was highly recommended and she did a gum graft to cover the tooth. Long story short, I went through hell and back with sutures in my mouth for weeks and not being able to bite food (still not allowed to) for it to look like ****.
The gum tissue covers the root, but it is thinner than normal gum tissue down there. As well, there's some big chunk of extra gum on that tooth coming from the opposite side. It looks retarded. I saw her yesterday and she acknowledged that she would be "pissed" if her gums looked like that and tbh I kind of hate her for doing this to me.
She said I will see her in 3 weeks to hopefully see the gum tissue rearrange and heal more naturally looking. I'm pretty pissed off. She mentioned possibly a second gum graft with alloderm to cover the tooth. I'm only 21, I don't want to be dealing with this **** over and over. It's expensive and I want my teeth to be fine for the foreseeable future.
I also have had appointments with an ortho to get this shifting nonsense figured out. I asked him for a lingual retainer which I have read is good for patients with bone loss or gum recession to stop any shifting. He said I will get a lingual retainer in about a month. For now I have to wear my invisalign retainer 24/7 to stop the ****er from shifting and upsetting the new (thin, poorly arranged) gum tissue from receding anymore.
I have depression and am really upset by all of this. A gum graft by a well known periodontist is not supposed to look this bad, 3 weeks after the surgery. She chalked it up to "well.. with soft tissue grafts.. you can't really control the quality of the sample.." as if it's MY fault.
I'm worried I will loose my tooth and have to get an implant or anything else scary and more surgeries. I'm only 21, I don't want to worry about this. It's making me think about dying and stupid fake teeth.
My perio said there was 50% bone loss on the tooth that shifts/has recession. I know that's bad, but how bad is that? She didn't explain. I can't even get a damn answer out of her, I'm still not sure if this graft is even helpful at this point. I don't care about aesthetics, I want functionality. I want the tooth to be stable and dependable for the future. But she won't give me a straight answer.
Is my tooth screwed? My teeth are all very white and gums are pink and healthy. no gum disease. But if I get this lingual retainer to stop shifting... what are the chances of keeping the damn tooth?
Will your insurance pay for a second opinion? If not, see what another specialist would charge for a consultation, stressing that you are a college student and would pay cash. That might give you a bit of a break.
Also, do you have a dental school nearby? They would charge less for a consultation but it might take a long time to get in, assuming they do that sort of advanced work. Not all of them do.
You sound very bothered and it wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. I know that I got three opinions, one from the dental school, before I spent $2,500 for work. I didn't have dental insurance. It was a rough road but so far I've kept the two teeth that were a problem.
Also, you don't have to go to doctors who won't give you straight answers. Warn them once and then fire them if they don't immediately reform. There are plenty of dentists and specialists out there.
The sad fact of the matter is that neither ortho or perio treatment carries a 100% guarantee of success.
As to the bone loss, I wonder if it isn't root resorption from the ortho treatment as that is not unusual. And if it is, you probably won't lose the tooth.
This is easy to say, but as someone who has had, literally, thousands of hours in the dental chair, this will get better.
The sad fact of the matter is that neither ortho or perio treatment carries a 100% guarantee of success.
As to the bone loss, I wonder if it isn't root resorption from the ortho treatment as that is not unusual. And if it is, you probably won't lose the tooth.
This is easy to say, but as someone who has had, literally, thousands of hours in the dental chair, this will get better.
Thank you for your reply, it means the world to me.
The gum is healing better and almost covers the normal areas more thickly now.
I am pretty sure it was caused by the braces.. or at least initiated by them. I'm getting a lingual retainer to stop any shifting in a few weeks, and then the gums should look great. My goal is to keep the tooth for a few years at least.. My dental habits are superb. 50% root.. I hope that's enough to give it some strength.
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