Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums and the bone that support the teeth. A person having periodontitis will more than likely have significant gum recession and tooth mobility. This is the most serious stage of periodontal disease. In severe cases, bone loss can occur and teeth may loosen or even fall out. Whether you can get braces on or not depends on how much bone loss you’ve had and if the orthodontist thinks treatment will be beneficial to you. Before you get braces, the orthodontist will have you see a periodontist (if you haven’t already). This is a dentist that specializes in gums and gum disease. If he/she can get your periodontal disease under control and stable, then normally they will okay for you to proceed with orthodontic treatment. You can guarantee that your orthodontist and periodontist will work closely together while you are in treatment in order to give you the best long term results. Sometimes getting your teeth in the correct position and stable can make controlling your periodontal disease easier for your periodontist. On the other hand if you are lacking bone support, putting braces on vulnerable teeth may end up doing more harm than good. Although it is a little more risky to start orthodontics with periodontal disease, it is not necessarily out of the question. This is definitely a good discussion to have with your orthodontist…and periodontist! -Lindi