Braces May Not Make Healthier Gums
April 23, 2008

by Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH - Orthodontists say that straighter teeth lead to better dental health. They say that if orthodontic problems aren't fixed, it could lead to gum disease and bone loss in the jaw. However, a new review of published research suggests that braces may not make for healthier mouths.

Dentists from the University of Washington, Seattle, searched for all studies on this topic published between 1980 and 2006. They found more than 3,500 studies.

Then they narrowed down their results to 12 studies. All focused on dental health after orthodontic treatment. Most people in the studies ranged in age from 11 to 22. Two studies didn't report people's ages. Two studies involved adults in their 30s and 40s.

The dentists did not find any evidence that straightening a person's teeth led to a healthier mouth during the next few years. In fact, they found that people who had braces in the past were slightly more likely to have receding gums (gums that pull back from the teeth). They also lost a little more of the bone that supports the teeth, and had were slightly more likely to have periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease affects the gums, bone and other structures that support the teeth. It can cause spaces, or pockets, between the teeth and gums. If it is not treated, it can lead to tooth loss.

All of the studies in the review focused on dental health after braces had been taken off. Most examined people at least one year later. Several studies examined people several years after the braces were removed. Only one study followed patients for an extended period (14 years).

"Although the findings show no improvement in the short term, they don't show what we might find after 10 years or more," said David A. Albert, associate professor at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. "Future studies should examine orthodontic patients over a longer time to determine if orthodontic treatment leads to an improvement in the health of the gums."

The authors note that the studies they reviewed did not take other factors into account, such as whether people smoked or how often they brushed their teeth. They say, however, that based on existing evidence, there is no support for the idea that orthodontic therapy leads to better periodontal health in the short term.

The research appears in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.