Extraction, bone loss and facial feature change

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#1 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:58 am

I was just reading some articles online about extractions might cause bone loss of the jaw and make the face look older. I'm just wondering for all the people here who had extraction and finished your treatment, have you notice any big change in your facial features? My Ortho kept telling me when teeth move, the bone tissue only move about 1/3 of the total teeth movement, but he didn't say how much that will affect my facial features. Anybody have any comments?

Thanks a lot!

#2 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:02 pm

Thanks, jt2lang,
I'm just a bit impatient to wait for my next adjustment, which is in another 3 weeks:P I will ask next time, but most probably he will say no:P

#3 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:39 am

Cool, that's a great idea!!! I'll try that.

#4 Post by **CNickyD** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:54 pm

My facial features have definitely changed - mostly for the better. I like my nose better (I was considering rhinoplasty!), my frown lines have disappeared, and my mouth looks more "feminine". But facial expressions seem much more exaggerated, so I'm working on controlling them. Overall though, I'm pleased.

#5 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:06 pm

Thanks a lot, CNickyD! So are these changes very dramatic or they are actually all subtle changes that you have to pay a lot of attention to notice. And did you notice the change over time or it all come out after the debanding?

#6 Post by **TheNewEmperor** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:24 am

WHen you go for your initial consult with the maxillio-whatever (can't remember the name right now, my bad

) they will be able to tell you if there will be substantial or subtle changes to your face.

My surgeon (I'm not getting jaw surgery now) explained how my upper jaw would move forward releasing my lips sothat they will appear slightly fuller and that my nose and cheekbones would change slightly.

Also, the dentist that is doing your braces will probably have a 'look book' of all his past clients - ask him to show you the book and point out to you people who have had similar surgery.

Good luck, and rest easy

#7 Post by **Faerydust** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:02 am

I've seen several threads now where posters have either had or are worried about a sunken look to their cheeks after extractions. Now I'm really curious and would like to see pictures. I had my two upper 1st premolars extracted and so far I haven't noticed any difference in my cheeks, but I wonder what my face will look like once my front teeth have moved back.

Does anyone have any pics of an example of facial changes from extractions? There was one poster who had pics, but then deleted them and I didn't get a chance to see.

#8 Post by **CNickyD** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:32 am

PigletInIowa wrote:Thanks a lot, CNickyD! So are these changes very dramatic or they are actually all subtle changes that you have to pay a lot of attention to notice. And did you notice the change over time or it all come out after the debanding?

I'm actually still in braces! My treatment isn't finished until February. I had 4 pre-molars (upper & lower) removed, I still have some space left to close.

To me, the change is fairly dramatic, but no one has mentioned noticing it. When I look at my pre-braces pictures though, the size of my teeth & mouth are almost startling.

As for sunken cheeks - I haven't noticed that at all. But then, I didn't really have full cheeks to begin with.

#9 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:56 am

Thanks, guys! I think I'll go ask my ortho's office for the look book, which is probably also a good way of gaining confidence in his skill,too. though since I have started my treatment, there is no way back, gaining more faith in him would help:P Not that I don't trust him, but I just cannot comprehend the idea how it can work. Have you guys ever look at your teeth during the treatment and think " no, there is no way this can work" but it worked no matter what at the end?

#10 Post by **florencegal** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:37 am

I've got a couple of months to go (hopefully) but I think my face has changed, entirely for the better. As jt2lang pointed out, I reckon some of it has to do with losing weight with braces because of cutting out snacking between meals, but I have cheekbones I would never have dreamed of before! I highly doubt that anyone other than me has noticed or will notice in the future, thechanges have been so gradual but I much prefer the bone structure of my face now.

Let us know what your ortho says

#11 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:56 am

florencegal, so you don't think the closure the the gap would be the reason?

#12 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:14 pm

Wow!!! Meryaten, thank you SO MUCH! I'm just amazed to see how much information you can pull out and they really calm me down! I think my problem is that I'm a biomedical researcher myself, so I have to be able to comprehend something to be able to have faith in it. But apparently this whole braces thing is out of my league that I don't understand and that was why I was worried about it so much. But the 3 abstracts you pulled out, they say the language I could understand

I wish I have the search skill you have, then I'd be a way better scientist than I am now:P Great post!!!

#13 Post by **lilypea** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:12 pm

I'm amused and glad to find this post up. I had the very same concerns a few weeks ago, as I am also a curious research type (biotech bay!) and had to read up on the pros/cons of extraction myself.

Armed with questions and doubts, I made an appointment with my ortho so he could appease them. He showed me his look book, and indeed there were subtle changes to the facial structure of his patients who had extracted teeth - all for the better. What I noticed most often was that the profiles looked better - there would be less of pucker to the upper lip (as crowding/too many teeth is apt to do) and a less jutting jaw.

Looking at my teeth, it's obvious that I need extraction, and I've got it scheduled for 2 and a half weeks from now.

#14 Post by **TheNewEmperor** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:07 pm

PigletInIowa wrote:Have you guys ever look at your teeth during the treatment and think " no, there is no way this can work" but it worked no matter what at the end?

Oh wow, wait until you see the look book...generally, the book will have photos the dentist has taken before treatment of the full face, profile and then the teeth (front on, upper and lower) and then he'll include photos of AFTER treatment...seriously, the **CHANGE** that can be made in people's teeth if phenomenal. And may I say: always for the better (and I went for a couple of consults and studied loads of photos, not just of cases like mine).