Re: Dental Work while wearing braces

[Guest guest]

with a question like this its clear that you need to call YOUR

dentist and YOUR orthadontist and simply ask... they will be able to

instantly give you a yes or no.

>

> I am in the beginning stages of this " fantastic " process and I had

a

> question regarding my braces. Today I scheduled an appointment to

> have my teeth cleaned and then immediately after, I went to the OD

to

> have the spacers put in. The dentist expressed some concerns with

> some of my teeth needing a filling and one of my front teeth needs

a

> post and crown. (Had a root canal on it awhile back.) He was

> implying that I should not be getting the braces on until this work

> is done. I had previously brought this same issue up with the OD

and

> he said the work could be done with braces on.

>

> My appointment to get the braces on has been scheduled for next

> Tues. I have already arranged to have the time of work and have a

> substitute already lined up to cover my classroom. I really want

to

> go ahead and get the braces on but I feel hesitant now and am not

> sure what I should do. I am especially concerned with something

> happening to my front tooth. Is there anyway the braces will crack

> or damage that tooth if it does not have the post in? My top teeth

> are fairly staight and so they hopefully won't be moving around too

> much, but now I am scared something will happen to it.

>

> The other problem with this situation is that I have been told that

I

> can't get coverage by my dental insurance until Feb (maybe) or

> March. I never selected my dentist and so they have to put me on

his

> list before they will cover it. So if i wait to get my dental

> insurance, and then get the necessary work done, and then get my

> braces on...it could be April/May. But if I go ahead and keep my

> scheduled appointment for braces then I could just get the dental

> work done as soon as I have coverage.

>

> I say all this to ask if anyone has had experience with having

dental

> work done (more than just a cleaning) with their braces on, and if

it

> is possible. Also, just any advice for what I should do. Would it

> be ok to take my OD's word for it and get the braces on and do

dental

> work with them on, or should I postpone the braces for a few months

> and take care of the dental work? Part of me wants to just rip

these

> spacers out because they are bothering me so bad, but I know

> eventually I would have to do it again. Thanks!

[Guest guest]

i think you need to call your dentist and ask. and make sure you call

the dentist you are going to be using, because different dentists will

feel different about the situation.

and maybe you can just post-pone the top braces? you mentioned they

aren't very crooked, so it sounds like you could postpone getting the

top braces until you get the post and crown on your front tooth.

gina

>

> I am in the beginning stages of this " fantastic " process and I had a

> question regarding my braces. Today I scheduled an appointment to

> have my teeth cleaned and then immediately after, I went to the OD to

> have the spacers put in. The dentist expressed some concerns with

> some of my teeth needing a filling and one of my front teeth needs a

> post and crown. (Had a root canal on it awhile back.) He was

> implying that I should not be getting the braces on until this work

> is done. I had previously brought this same issue up with the OD and

> he said the work could be done with braces on.

>

> My appointment to get the braces on has been scheduled for next

> Tues. I have already arranged to have the time of work and have a

> substitute already lined up to cover my classroom. I really want to

> go ahead and get the braces on but I feel hesitant now and am not

> sure what I should do. I am especially concerned with something

> happening to my front tooth. Is there anyway the braces will crack

> or damage that tooth if it does not have the post in? My top teeth

> are fairly staight and so they hopefully won't be moving around too

> much, but now I am scared something will happen to it.

>

> The other problem with this situation is that I have been told that I

> can't get coverage by my dental insurance until Feb (maybe) or

> March. I never selected my dentist and so they have to put me on his

> list before they will cover it. So if i wait to get my dental

> insurance, and then get the necessary work done, and then get my

> braces on...it could be April/May. But if I go ahead and keep my

> scheduled appointment for braces then I could just get the dental

> work done as soon as I have coverage.

>

> I say all this to ask if anyone has had experience with having dental

> work done (more than just a cleaning) with their braces on, and if it

> is possible. Also, just any advice for what I should do. Would it

> be ok to take my OD's word for it and get the braces on and do dental

> work with them on, or should I postpone the braces for a few months

> and take care of the dental work? Part of me wants to just rip these

> spacers out because they are bothering me so bad, but I know

> eventually I would have to do it again. Thanks!

[Guest guest]

I am with you on this. They started my treatment on 27 Sept 2004

with the initial visit, then another visit with my ortho who told me

what I needed to do before he would even touch my teeth. He sent me

back to my dentist (although I made sure to have everything done and

go with " good " teeth to work on) for some minor cavities twice and

now he said I was ok. (He also sent me to a speech therapist to

correct some speech problems as they would cause a relapse after

surgery.) Yesterday he put the spacers on and in two weeks he will

put all the hardware in.

I also feel it is taking ages to start and am impatient but I think

it is best to have everything done while teeth are " bare " .

My dentist told me she would easily be able to clean teeth with

braces on but she also added that she wouldn't have drilled and

filled the two tiny cavities the ortho pointed out if I was not to

have braces.

Everyone is different so it would be best to ask your docs. With me

I always want to make sure things are going well and I personally

still worry what if one tooth gevies in under pressure. All we can

do is rely on the docs who have seen hundreds of patients and know

how things work.

I have these really annoying metal spacers that are spiky so

teaching is somewhat tiring for me too.

Don't rush into things especially if you have problems with the

insurance as well.

All the best.

[Guest guest]

First the disclaimer - everyone is different, so I'd suggest speaking

with your ortho and dentist about your concerns

My story. I have a molar that I had a root canal done on. The

dentist and ortho both said it was best to get the crown put on AFTER

the braces and surgery were done, not before. From my understanding

they are doing it afterwards in order to facilitate a better fit,

especially along the gum line. If it was done now, after moving the

teeth around and surgery, I would more than likely not have a real

good fit of the crown along the gumline.

What the ortho did for the braces, so we didn't have to worry about

damaging the tooth and to give it extra support, was he used bands

instead of the kind of brace that is just affixed to the outside of

the tooth

[Guest guest]

Thank you everyone for your posts regarding this...it is so helpful

for me to have others willing to offer their advice or share their

stories with me. I have actually decided it would be better to wait

on braces and do the dental work first. I went today and had the

spacers removed and will try it again next time. Unfortunately,

it may be several months but at least i won't have to worry about

dental work with my braces on. I actually saw my oral surgeon today

who helped me in making my decision. He said it is possible for my

tooth to crack without the post/crown in place. I do not want to

risk it! I am not going through all this to end up having something

happen to one of my front teeth. I will ask my dentist about whether

the crown can wait until after surgery and see what he says. It is

just so frustrating to think you are finally getting somewhere and

now I feel like I am back at square 1.

>

> I am with you on this. They started my treatment on 27 Sept 2004

> with the initial visit, then another visit with my ortho who told

me

> what I needed to do before he would even touch my teeth. He sent me

> back to my dentist (although I made sure to have everything done

and

> go with " good " teeth to work on) for some minor cavities twice and

> now he said I was ok. (He also sent me to a speech therapist to

> correct some speech problems as they would cause a relapse after

> surgery.) Yesterday he put the spacers on and in two weeks he will

> put all the hardware in.

> I also feel it is taking ages to start and am impatient but I think

> it is best to have everything done while teeth are " bare " .

> My dentist told me she would easily be able to clean teeth with

> braces on but she also added that she wouldn't have drilled and

> filled the two tiny cavities the ortho pointed out if I was not to

> have braces.

> Everyone is different so it would be best to ask your docs. With me

> I always want to make sure things are going well and I personally

> still worry what if one tooth gevies in under pressure. All we can

> do is rely on the docs who have seen hundreds of patients and know

> how things work.

> I have these really annoying metal spacers that are spiky so

> teaching is somewhat tiring for me too.

> Don't rush into things especially if you have problems with the

> insurance as well.

> All the best.

[Guest guest]

I agree about consulting your own experts.

I had a crown in process when the whole subject of braces arose,

unexpectedly.

My ortho instructed my dentist to have a metal crown made, rather

than getting the porcelain one. And before that crown was put in my

mouth (it's on a back tooth, so it doesn't show) he had a bracket

soldered to it. He said that would be much cleaner than banding a

crown. It worked fine, and when I was done with the ortho and

surgery, my regular dentist ground the bracket off.

C.

>

> First the disclaimer - everyone is different, so I'd suggest

speaking

> with your ortho and dentist about your concerns

>

> My story. I have a molar that I had a root canal done on. The

> dentist and ortho both said it was best to get the crown put on

AFTER

> the braces and surgery were done, not before. From my understanding

> they are doing it afterwards in order to facilitate a better fit,

> especially along the gum line. If it was done now, after moving the

> teeth around and surgery, I would more than likely not have a real

> good fit of the crown along the gumline.

>

> What the ortho did for the braces, so we didn't have to worry about

> damaging the tooth and to give it extra support, was he used bands

> instead of the kind of brace that is just affixed to the outside of

> the tooth