How to achieve straight teeth if you have gum disease?

Without knowing the severity of your gum disease, it's difficult to say what options you have to straighten your teeth. Perhaps after you get your gum disease under control, porcelain veneers would be an option for you. But again, this depends on several factors such as the amount of bone loss, tooth mobility, etc. Don't give up! Get your gum disease under control and I'm confident you'll have options to get you smiling again. I hope this helps and just click "save" under my name to have me answer more of your questions in the future.

I am a Periodontist and work with my partner who is an Orthodontist. We frequently have patients with gum disease visiting us for braces and we have treated several such cases very successfully.However, not every case with gum disease can be taken up for orthodontic treatment. Case selection depends on several factors such as the severity of the disease, amount of existing bone loss, tooth mobility etc. As an alternative, all ceramic crowns to splint teeth and give an aesthetic appearance is definitely an option you could consider.

Unfortunately, gum disease includes the loss
of the supporting bone. The bone is like
the foundation of a house, any structure will only be as strong as the
foundation. No, you do not have to have ugly teeth for the rest of your
life! Without knowing the severity of
the gum disease it is difficult to say which option best suits you. However, if there is enough bone left,
splinting the teeth with crowns will achieve a beautiful smile. Splinting the
teeth is when you place crowns on the teeth necessary for a nice smile and the
crowns are bonded together. When done
well it looks very natural and functions well while adding strength to the
teeth. It may involve more than two
teeth. Your dentist will use his or her
judgement here. Another option which
works for almost everyone, depending on health history, is implants. With today’s technology and research, anyone
can have a beautiful smile with teeth that are like your own. With the properly trained dentist or dental
team, implants are amazing.

While orthodontics can help prevent gum disease, it may be risky to straighten teeth when gum disease is present.  Perhaps you should consider consulting with a periodontist (gum disease specialist) to see if you can't get gum disease under control.  Veneers or crowns may be an option for you, but these treatments must also be used with caution when periodontal disease is present.  With communication between your periodontist and a competent cosmetic dentist, I am confident you will have options to improve your smile!