Who needs extractions?

[vincent168]

Sorry, but I'm still confused. What does the ortho look out for when determining whether extractions are needed? Is it just if your teeth are too crowded and need space?

[kennyandrew85]

I think he checks arch width, size of your teeth and what space you have to work with.

Age also plays a big factor, if you're young and still growing it's never needed but when we're adults the bones are pretty much fused in position and only teeth movement within the arch can be done.

If your teeth are too big then they need to either be shaved down to save some space or if they are really crowded like mine then you need to have teeth pulled.

You'll see rubbish claims on the internet about super DAMON brackets that can stop the need for extractions, but unless they can shrink your teeth or increase the size of the arch in your mouth, then it's all marketing hype.

[sirwired]

Even children sometimes need extractions... An ortho that "never" pulls teeth in children is either a magician or not doing his job.

[dojo]

Ask around before extractions and see if the treatment can work without them. If not, extract. I had 3 extractions (lost 1 tooth before) since I have HUGE teeth and it was no way to make them all stay correctly. Always had serious overcrowding, so this was the only way. It worked nicely for me and it wasn't a big deal, but, make sure it would be a good thing for you and if so, go for it.

[ivyrae]

I had only the top two premolars extracted. I have large teeth and had such a big overbite that it was necessary. It's been 6 months and my gaps are almost closed and my profile looks so much better. Even with the two extractions I still have a slight overbite and am using elastics for that. I think that in some cases extractions are absolutely needed, but not for everyone.