Will braces really fix this problem?

lil_lisa

So I went to a dentist over here in the US to get a regular check up and cleaning done. I mentioned that I grind my teeth REALLY bad at night. When I was younger I had my second last teeth on both sides removed so I have gaps. The dentist here told me that I'm grinding my teeth because my wisdom tooth is coming up and pushing my back most teeth forward, making my bite not fit right and hence the grinding at night.

Could this be true? She said the best thing to do would be to get braces or implants. I'm never too trustworthy of US private practices so before I go see an orthodontist, I would love if anyone here could give me a second opinion on this.

Thanks in advance!

ballsymchugh

there's a big disparity on the whole wisdom teeth causing crowding issue, and it depends where you are. it seems to be the norm to suggest it in north america, but not over here. crowding can occur in the absence of wisdom teeth.
grinding is usually related to stress or a malocclusion that your teeth are trying to sort out. erupting wisdom teeth causing grinding is a new one on me, but i'll leave it open to the floor. anyone got anything to back this up??

edit: go see georgie when you're back here, he's the wise one of us lot! AHEM! (as well as being from your neck of the woods..)

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Whether wisdom teeth they cause late lower incisor crowding is one thing, but poor occlusion does not cause grinding, this has been show in huge trials. People with bad bites and crooked teeth show no more or less grinding and Jaw issues than people without crowding. Also orthodontic treatment has been show not the reduce the incidence of TMD and grinding evidence.

If your teeth are crooked then braces will make them look better and be easier to clean. If you are missing teeth replacing them is good to stop the surrounding teeth moving and to give better chewing.

So for those reasons get braces but not to stop grinding......

day dreamer

I would agree with fitzgeme. Crooked teeth dont cause grinding, this was the subject of a landmark court case in the US in the erly 90's and a whole edition of the American Jouirnal of Orthodontics was devoted to the issue. Orthodontic treatment is TMJ neutral, it will not worsen or improve TMJ disorders apart from some exceptional cases

As regards the wisdom teeth the Royal College of Surgeons specifically advise against the removal of wisom teeth to avoid lower incisor crowding in adults. There is some evidence to show wisodm teeth may cause 1mm of additional crowding when they erupt but this is not significant compared to the risks and costs of wisdom teeth removal.

So if your teeth are crooked and you dont like how they look then consider the ortho treatment. If you dont like the gaps then think about having them filled up with implants or bridges. If the grinding is the issue there are more effective ways of correcting this than orthodontic treatment or implants

ballsymchugh

can i just say that i meant malocclusion in the sense of a high spot on a new restoration!! really, i did!! although this would lead to pain in the area around the tooth and not really tmj related either. there i go...

also, we used to get evils if we mentioned that straight teeth would lead to better hygiene to the consultant in cork. he was of the opinion that the patient can be motivated without having to go through the train track experience.

georgieporgy

I agree with the previous 3 posters (esp Ballsymchugh!).

But I would add there are 2 separate issues here. Lisa is complaining of grinding her teeth at night. This needs to be treated regardless of the cause of the grinding and the simplest way to deal with it is to wear a Nightguard (made by your dentist, approx cost in Ireland €200-400).
This will relieve the discomfort (if any) associated with grinding and prevent further wear and tear on your teeth.

As for the missing lower first molars I would be in favour of replacing them asap, and this can be done in a variety of ways depending on the situation.

PS the errupting wisdom teeth will encourage the second molars to tip forward a bit more if there is a big space in front of them because of the missing first molars. And I guess that is why the American dentist is advising ortho to move the second molars forward in a nice controlled manner and maybe the wisdom teeth can then errupt ok? Getting an ortho opinion would be a good idea (and american orthodontists are good)

lil_lisa

Wow, thank you all for your responses. I knew there was something strange when she said that it's the cause of grinding. My teeth are beginning to lean forward and I do want to fix this so I might take advantage of the fact that I have two gaps and move them forward with braces, keeping my wisdom teeth.

Luckily I have extremely straight (yet spaced) teeth. Is it possible to have braces just on certain teeth?

vishal

when you loose a lot of back teeth you can loose support. your front teeth can wear down because they are overloaded and not designed for chewing but for cutting food. the teeth can start to space and or flare forward.

i agree with what other have said but some bite problems in susceptible individuals may predispose to tmj problems.

there is nothing wrong with uprighting some tipped teeth (second molars) and having missing teeth replaced with implants after extraction of 3rd molars and getting straight front teeth in the process. closing first molar extraction spaces in the presence of anterior spacing is probably unrealistic in most cases

i don't think your dentist i trying to mislead you.

lil_lisa

Ok, thanks guys. I'm making an appointment with an orthodontist, at least get a consultation. Will post results