Posts Tagged ‘tooth decay’

Why are my teeth so sensitive after my braces came off?

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

I had braces for more than two years. Six weeks ago, I finally got them taken off. I was so excited to finally get rid of those braces, but now it seems like I have a whole new set of problems with my teeth.

For one thing, they are getting darker every day. I almost never drink any kind of dark pop or coffee, but it seems like my teeth are getting more and more stained. I can’t hardly stand to eat anything that is really hot or really cold, because it REALLY hurts. And it feels like there are “dips” in the front of my teeth now, spots where the tooth feels rougher than the areas around it.

What happened? Did my orthodontist damage my teeth when he removed the cement holding the brackets in place? What can I do about this?

Thanks for your help,

Eddie in Mishawaka

Dear Eddie -

It is highly unlikely that your orthodontist caused damage removing the brackets. That is a very routine procedure and almost never results in the kinds of problems you describe. More likely, you are suffering from the effects of less than stellar dental care while you were wearing your braces.

If you noticed white patches on your teeth where the brackets used to be, those are probably areas of decalcification. Those may also be the areas that are now staining, and that feel rougher than the surrounding tooth surfaces. What often happens is that patients–especially teens–are not as careful as they should be about brushing while they are wearing braces. Food that would normally just slide off your teeth becomes caught in the brackets, and if the patient does not brush immediately and thoroughly after eating, the acid-producing bacteria of the mouth work away at that food AND at the surface of the tooth for hours.

The damage is obvious when the braces come off. Those pitted spots may continue to chip and stain, eventually turning quite brown. Soft spots of decay may even be present underneath some of the spots. The extreme sensitivity of your teeth indicates that you are probably missing some enamel.

Teeth whitening services (over the counter or in-office) will not help. Dental bonding can be used to treat the damage if it is confined to just a few spots that are relatively small. If the damage is more significant, you may need porcelain veneers.

Situations like these are only one of the reasons that Invisalign braces can be such a great choice for teens. The aligners are removed to eat and brush/floss, then replaced.

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How do you treat baby teeth that are badly decayed?

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

I’ve been trying to find information about my 5 year old son’s dental problems. He has at least four teeth that need to be treated, and I have not yet located a dentist that can talk my son into getting a look in his mouth.

The first molars on the bottom both have cavities that look to be quite deep, and the second molars are worse. They have both lost tooth structure from decay. I’m pretty sure we are going to have to sedate him to get work done on these teeth, and I want to thoroughly understand all the options before I send him to a pediatric dentist.

When teeth have begun to literally rot out, do they have to be removed? Is there any sense in doing porcelain onlays or dental bonding on such a young child, or could white fillings be used to protect what is left of his teeth until they are replaced by his adult teeth?

Thanks very much for your help,

Michelle from Columbus

Dear Michelle,

You are right to be concerned about keeping those baby teeth intact. They are necessary, not only to help him eat, of course, but to hold the proper spaces for his adult teeth. If he loses those teeth, his permanent molars will drift forward, and cause crowding. This would likely cause a cascade of problems that could result in a lot of time, money and discomfort. If your son does need to have those teeth pulled, space maintainers should be used to keep his teeth aligned.

Perhaps a more difficult topic to address is the pattern of eating that probably produced this issue. Young children generally get a lot of cavities because they eat too frequently. The level of decay you describe makes it very likely that your son is a “grazer”–that he likes to eat small amounts pretty much constantly. This pattern of eating is almost always the culprit in severe tooth decay in young children.

Habits surrounding food are very challenging to break, but you would be doing your child and yourself a favor by nipping this kind of eating habit in the bud as soon as possible. If you don’t, you will continue to see issues with tooth decay which will become more serious when permanent teeth are involved.

Most dental work on baby teeth is considered a short-term solution, as those teeth will fall out when the permanent teeth begin to come in. For molars, that usually happens around age 11 or 12. A dentist will likely place a dental crown on the decayed molars, but not the same kind of crown that is used for adult teeth. Generally, a dentist will use a crown that is not as expensive, like a stainless steel or some other kind of prefabricated crown.

Look for a pediatric dentist who is experienced with sedation techniques, if that is what it will take to get this work done.

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