You are here:

Dentistry/Orthodonture and root damage

Advertisement

Expert: - 2/17/2009


Question
My 11 year old daughter just completed 3 years of pre treatment for a slight overbite.  All of her permanant teeth were in before she turned 8 so her teeth were very crowded, but no teeth had to be extracted.  Upon completion of wearing a growth device for her bottom jaw, her orthodontist did x-rays before starting the full set of braces.  He called me in and showed me where the front two teeth had root damage and said it wasn't his fault.  He sounded pretty defensive and it made me uneasy.  He said that she must have sustained an injury at an earlier age and that orthodontia didn't cause that.  However, he said that they would hurry her treatment and try to get her braces off in 18 months and hope the teeth didn't fall out, making implants necessary.  I was floored! Have you heard of such a thing and since my daughter hasn't sustained such an injury, wouldn't the long term moving of those teeth have caused it?  Obviously the xray from before treatment didn't show any injury or it would have been mentioned at that time.  What should I do?  If I agree to continue treatment, is that absolving him from responsibility if her teeth do fall out?  Thank you.

Answer
Dear Cathy,
This is a serious situation.
Your instincts about what is happening could be correct.
My suggestion is that you quickly find someone else and get a second opinion.
It is not something you and I can do using the internet.
All the best,
Dr. Moss

Dentistry

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Stephen J. Moss

Expertise

I am a professor emeritus at New York University, with a background that includes extensive research, scientific writing and biology. I also am an international consultant in health education, particularly in developing education on new science for health professionals and consumers. I am a past president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, former head of the NYU Division of Oral Biology and I represent the World Dental Federation at the United Nations. I travel around the world to provide health education to professionals and consumers.

Experience

Having retired from New York Universit, where I directed the pediatric dentistry training program, a walk-in dental clinic and research on oral biology, I formalized my professional and consumer health education initiative in the form of Health Education Enterprises. This entity consults and provides information on new science pertaining to oral and general health, particularly leading edge concepts that can be employed in the health professions to improve the public's health. As such, I am an expert in communicating new science and its usefulness to professional and lay audiences alike. I also had a pediatric dentistry practice in New York City for nearly 30 years.

Organizations
I am affiliated with the American Dental Association, the World Dental Federation, the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry among other formal organizations. My experience has included a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and work at the Forsythe Dental Research Center

Publications
lpha Omegan USA, Nowa Stomatologia Poland, Journal of Public Health Dentistry, The Journal of the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry USA, News Bulletin Japan, Journal of Marmara University Dental Faculty Turkey, Italian Journal of Paediatric Dentistry Italy, Asian Dentist Singapore, The Journal of the Israel Dental Association Israel, ROBRAC Brazil, Italian Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
Italy, FDI World, STOMA Portugal, Pediatric Dentistry The Philippines, Modern Stomatology Bulgaria, Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry India

Education/Credentials
I obtained a doctor of dental science (DDS) degree, a master of science degree and am a board certified pediatric dentist.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.