Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi AkDental,

Many people have some aversion to losing their teeth. No one wants to do that unless it's necessary. When infection or the prevention of infection is at stake, then one has to weigh out the risks of retaining those teeth.

A flipper like the one your son would need is difficult to eat with. Some people even take them out to eat because it is only anchored in the mouth by a few wire or plastic clips. It is not made to last a lifetime and needs to be replaced as often as necessary. Depends on the person and their lifestyle... eating. etc. A maryland bridge is cemented onto the adjacent teeth by a pair of wire arms and it is not meant to be chewed on like natural teeth as the bonding will come loose and the bridge will come out. Again this is not a long time replacement option just an intermittent one.

Conventional braces come is a variety of metals and plastic. Anyone that wears braces to straighten their teeth must commit to wearing their retainer once the braces are removed or the teeth will shift our of alignment. Teeth have memory and braces only alter the placement of the teeth while they are on... thus the need to faithfully wear the post op retainers.

Invisalign are removable braces. Not all cases can be done with these braces. This treatment requires total compliance of the patient to wear the liners as prescribed or the outcome will not be favorable. Again post op retainers need to be worn to keep the teeth in the new position.

Root resorption occurs frequently from orthodontia and it happens when the teeth are moved too quickly. The idea with orthodontia is to move the teeth slow and steady. Root resorption cannot be corrected and it makes those teeth that have it vulnerable to nerve damage in the future.

Bryanna