Orthodontic Seminar Topic Presentation on

COMPLICATION OF ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

Submitted to:

Orthodontic department
Rajshahi medical college, Dental
unit.

 Toothache,

occasional discomfort or
pressure on the teeth
When beginning orthodontic
treatment and after the each
inspection, you may feel unpleasant
pressure on your teeth, toothache, or
just discomfort. It depends on the
individual and on their pain threshold.

after first wearing dental braces, and

after each appointment when the braces
are adjusted. In younger children
discomfort and pain, especially when
eating, can seriously affect their appetite.
Eating soft foods can help by avoiding
additional pressure on teeth. The
orthodontist may also prescribe a pain
reliever to ease the pain of dental braces.

Also, at the beginning of orthodontic

treatment, scratches and bruises may
appear on the mucosa, generally
caused by a fixed device. In such cases,
orthodontic protective wax is employed.
Such complaints are temporary and
tend to arise over the first 5-7 days after
beginning treatment. Later, the mucosa
adapts to the braces and the abrasions
disappear.

Dental hygiene problems when wearing

braces, the areas of the teeth and gums
close or under arch wires and brackets are
difficult to clean. If teeth are not cleaned
carefully, food particles are trapped in
these areas. This allows the accumulation of
dental plaque increasing the risk of tooth
decay and gum disease. It is important to
maintain proper oral hygiene by brushing
and flossing thoroughly when wearing
braces to prevent dental health problems.

sometimes mild tooth discoloration or

stains may be noticed on teeth areas
adjacent to brackets. After removing
the dental braces teeth color in areas
previously covered by the braces may
not look the same with the rest of the
tooth. Possible treatments include
tooth whitening, tooth bonding and
dental veneers.

This complication is caused by longterm bad oral hygiene. White patches

appear around the brackets. The
enamel beneath the brackets remains
undamaged. A coating built up on the
surface of the enamel causes
demineralisation. This occurs due to
harmful bacteria which break down
leftover food around the brackets into
acids. The acids eat into the enamel
resulting in demineralisation.

 This

is a stage preceding tooth

decay.
If this complication arises and
repeated instruction on oral hygiene
and visits to a dental hygienist have
no effect, the doctor reserves the
right to premature termination of
treatment. The priority is a healthy set
of teeth and only afterwards a
straight set.

in rare cases some orthodontic

patients may experience allergic
reaction to the latex rubber in elastics
or to the metal used in braces. The
orthodontist should be notified
immediately for any allergic symptoms
that might be caused by dental
braces. In such a case, latex-free
elastics and alternative metals can be
used.

 Insufficient

oral hygiene can lead

to gum infection. This infection
can complicate treatment by
meaning slower tooth movement
and so treatment is slowed and
sometimes leads to irreversible
damage to the teeths supporting
tissues.

 in

some cases, teeth may feel loose even

after the orthodontic treatment is
completed. During this process of moving
teeth to their correct position, the bone in
the compressed side of the tooth is
gradually resorbed, while on the other side
new bone is created to fill the gap created
by the movement of the tooth. Teeth
moved during orthodontic treatment will
feel loose until the new jaw bone around
the tooth roots is fully created.

 Some

patients have a tendency to

the occurrence of resorption. In
practice this means that the teeths
roots get shorter. This complication
however does not shorten the lifespan
of teeth.

 Every

orthodontic treatment has a

tendency to relapse, i.e. the teeth
return to their original position. We
prevent this by using retention devices
and retainers. Retention devices are
laboratory products made to fit your
teeth exactly.
Retainers are wires which are stuck to
the back surface of patients teeth to
maintain their position. This phase is
very important for orthodontic