Extraction gaps...

[newmetal]

Ive had my braces for a couple of months now and i noticed the other day that it seems one of my gaps have slightly close, slight as anything but still. What i wanted to know was, i havnt had any devices placed to close the gap, ive just had a normal archwire, does this help to close the gaps? Also, is it possible for one gap to be closing an the gap which is identical on the other half of the arch not to have moved as much?

Many Thanks
Newmetal

[Danielle]

I had four premolars removed within a couple of weeks of getting my braces on. Six weeks later all but one gap has closed (you can't even tell there was a tooth there). The last gap is moving along slower but it's still closing. I've only had the archwire and brackets in place to close these gaps.

[Willz]

2 of my extraction gaps have started to close up as well

[Rickysa]

When extractions are done to alleviate crowding, as the crowded teeth begin to unravel, they shift into the extractions spaces making the spaces smaller. Quite often, there is more crowding on one side versus the other, so as the more crowded side unravels, more of the space on that side is closed.

Once all of the teeth are aligned a heavy archwire can be placed and powerchain (and elastics) used to close any remaining extraction space.

Good luck with your treatment!

Dr. S

[dena]

newmetal: I have the same exact situation. I had four teeth removed and once all of my teeth are straight, we will start closing the gaps. But they have all closed a little from just the archwire--one has closed much more than the others. (Unfortunately, the ortho just told me the gaps hadn't closed much at all...my teeth are being quite slow at the moment!) I think this is very normal though. I will have power chains put on to close the gaps once my other teeth are straight.