ortho leading to non vital tooth

[ramona_k]

Pt on ortho treatment since last November had power chains placed in June with a lot of discomfort, experienced cold sensitivity last week and now a discolored "gray tooth" today. Pt doesn't have any previous hx of trauma. How often does this happen? I know a lot of orthodontists include the possibility of tooth non vitality and resorption in their consent form. I would think the orthodontist would want to compensate the ortho and the root canal treatment that the pt would need. I might be able to upload some pictures in a little bit.

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[aphistis]

This sounds suspiciously like an internet malpractice consultation. I hope the pictures aren't self-portraits.

 

[Trench Mouth]

Our program director (in ortho residency) said she's seen 1 tooth in 20 years devitalize, As you'd expect, it was a tooth that was grossly out of position and required a long distance of translational movement over a long period of time. Of course, pt memories are short and there could always have been a traumatic incident some time in their past that doesn't stand out in their memory. With as infrequent as it happens, it is definitely worth covering in your informed consent, but not worth losing sleep over as a practitioner as long as you are reasonable with the forces you apply to a tooth.