What could cause gum swelling and pain around my molar? (photo)

Thank you for your question. Molars can sometimes become rotated during braces treatment and it rarely is a cause of concern. Towards the middle or prior to end of treatment your orthodontist will be able to straighten it again before removing your braces. Do remember to keep it clean as rotated molars do trap more food than normal. This is only temporary until the molar is straightened up again. Please do talk to your orthodontist about your concerns as communication is key to successful treatment. I hope this helps and good luck!

Thank you for your enquiry. We see this very commonly in many adults, who notice their lower teeth becoming more crooked or shifting especially in their early 20s. This is termed as late lower incisor crowding. The cause of this is unfortunately not as straight forward, and years of studies show that it could be due to many reasons. Here are some of the possible causes: 1) Erupting wisdom teeth pushing the lower teeth forward - however, there have been studies where patients with no wisdom teeth have also experienced this late crowding of the lower teeth.