My dentist warned my about root resorption. Would this prevent me from having Invisalign?

Q.
hello Doctor, hope the day finds you well,

I have been thinking of getting invisalign for a long time and have recently been able to gather the funds to so. I went to my regular dentist to have a checkup and told him that I was thinking of having Invisalign, and he made the comment that my roots may be too short for the treatment and something about root resorption. I know you won’t be able to tell completely without seeing me in person but could you explain this condition and the ramifications if i start Invisalign treatment.

thank you for your time and any help would be greatly appreciated

A.
Hi

As we move teeth with orthodontics some cellular changes occur and root resorption is essentially when the root of a tooth begins to wear away and dissolve, making the effective length of the root shorter than it should be. We do not know exactly why it happens.

We do know, however, that one thing which makes a patient more predisposed to root resorption is previous trauma to teeth. For example if you have an accident and damage a front tooth, then later you have orthodontic treatment, for reasons we do not understand, that tooth is more prone to root resorption. Other suggestions are that the further the tooth has to move and the speed it moves, the slight increase in risk. Invisalign has been designed to move teeth at the optimal speed so the forces are kind.

Thankfully, severe root resorption that threatens the life span of a tooth is rare. The only way to see that there is root resorption is through dental x-rays (one called an ‘OPG’ is the most common). You should have x-rays before, possibly during and then after treatment to check the health of the roots and evaluate them for any potential damage. Once the root has dissolved, there is no way for it to grow back. But studies have shown that even teeth with short roots can be maintained long term with proper care.

I would ask your dentist to discuss your x-rays with you and why he feels you have an increased risk.

Good luck

Adam

dr adam thorne

Dr Adam Thorne

Harley Street Dental Studio
52 Harley Street London W1G 9PR
Web: www.harleystreetdentalstudio.com Tel: 020 7636 5981

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