Whether or not you should have teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons is a question that has been ask a lot on our Friday Focus YouTube channel. While we’ve covered this topic before, we felt it was worth sharing information about again. Let’s start with the fact that there is a way to set up treatment so that teeth don’t need to be extracted to make space for orthodontic treatment.
Traditional Orthodontic Training
Most dentists, and even orthodontists were trained to remove premolars when a patient’s teeth are crowded. Once extracted, space is created that can be used to minimize crowding of other teeth. While this may seem to make sense, for every action, there’s a reaction, and when it comes to tooth extraction, the results are often negative. Unfortunately, the negatives aren’t always thoroughly explained to patients or their parents. That’s what E&S Orthodontics, Your Orthodontist in Phoenix, Friday Focus is all about – detailing your options and potential results.
Adult Braces Options Minimize the Risk of Teeth Extraction
Damon braces, Clarity Braces, and H4 braces are self-ligation braces. The system doesn’t guarantee you won’t require any extractions, but they will minimize the probability of extraction as a part of your orthodontic treatment.
Phase One/Phase Two Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment varies from person to person, depending on the severity of the problem. One of the most important things you can do, whether you’re an adult or you’re looking for answers for your children, is to start addressing problems early on. One of the most effective solutions is to separate treatments into two parts – Phase One and Phase Two.
Phase One
The goal of the first phase of treatment is to help guide the development of the jaw so that it will accommodate permanent teeth and improve the way that the upper and lower jaws fit together. Once all the permanent teeth come in, phase two begins. It’s important to keep in mind that if children around 8 years old have crowded front teeth, having the problem treated early can help prevent extraction of permanent teeth later on.
Phase Two
The second phase begins once all permanent teeth have erupted, and usually requiring braces for an average of 12 to 18 months. The objective of phase two is to ensure that each tooth is in the exact location where it is in balance with the other teeth, the cheeks, tongue and lips. When this balance is established, the teeth will be able to function in harmony.
Why is my doctor recommending that I pull teeth out and is there any alternative to it?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions like this. Deciding if you should consider having any teeth pulled shouldn’t be taken lightly. During your consultation with the dentist or orthodontist, ask questions like “why do you want to take the teeth out and what are you trying to facilitate by doing so?” “What system do you plan on using and is there another system you can use that doesn’t involve extracting teeth?” When an orthodontist recommends extracting, ask them to explain what the consequences are if you do this. It’s also a good idea to ask them about different cases that they’ve performed and to see what the outcome was with before and after photos. Getting these questions answered will help you make a more educated decision. After all, what you decide can have an effect, not just on your smile, but your entire face.
The reason communication is so important when it comes to teeth extraction is that one of the things that happens is that there’s a higher chance that the lip support in your upper lip will be diminished, with end result being negative affects to your appearance, especially in the upper lip area, thinning out the appearance of your lips, your profile flattens out, factors that can age your appearance. The fact is that if you have the appropriate orthodontic treatment completed now, you can actually improve the aging process by encouraging more upper lip fullness as you age, for a more youthful appearance.
A lot of people who visit our website send pictures and comments from across the world, asking these types of questions So, if you have any questions regarding tooth extraction or any other orthodontic treatments, you’re more than welcome to reach out to us on our YouTube channel or on Facebook. I do my best to answer all the questions that we receive. It’s our goal to make a real difference in orthodontic care and to help eliminate any fears or concerns that our patients or visitors may have about treatment options
See you at our next Friday focus!
