Metal Mouth Message Board

http://www.archwired.com/TOW_extraction ... n_face.htm

Sunken face caused by extractions?!

Before I tell you why that concerns me, here's the thing with my face: The left of side of my face is naturally a bit more "flat" than the right side of my face. It has been that way since I was a baby. You can notice it in my cheeks a bit but it's mainly noticeable in the shape of my jaw - the right side seems more rounded. It's not something that I think is obvious to people because you'd have to look at me completely straight on and I don't think it's too drastic, as I have never had anyone comment on it all of my life.

Anyway, my concern after reading that article is this: I'm supposed to get an extraction on the left side of my mouth. I looked at a diagram of teeth online and it's the 2nd bicuspid, aka the second premolar. It's still a "baby tooth" because I have no adult tooth underneath it. (weird, I know) On the right side of my mouth, I had that tooth extracted when I was younger for another reason. There was also no adult tooth on that side. So, the orthodontist wants me to extract the tooth on the left side because 1. it's a baby tooth, 2. it will make my mouth symmetrical since the tooth is already missing on the other side, and 3. it will apparently allow him to create a better bite for me. That sounded good until I read in that article that my cheek can look sunken in after... that is NOT good because as I said above, my face is already asymmetrical!

Reassurance, please? Does it make a difference having a baby tooth extracted vs. having an adult tooth extracted? Do you know how many people end up with a sunken cheek?

From what I hear about this, this really only affects some people who have 6+ teeth removed.

Those who get their wisdom teeth removed, plus four biscupids?

I had my wisdom teeth and one other tooth removed and I don't feel I look different.

I'm willing to bet your baby tooth is not going to last for the rest of your life. Best to get it out now and get your teeth and bite symmetrical. Baby teeth are pretty small so I think there is not much to worry about. I suppose an alternative could be to make space for 2 implants - 1 on each side, but this is pretty pricey and you may or not have enough space in your mouth for that. I think you should talk to your ortho about the asymmetry in your face and whether any change is possible from treatment. Actually the arch of your jaw typically gets rounded out during treatment which may be beneficial to your facial aesthetics. Good luck!

I agree with LCARA. You would have to have 6+ wisdom teeth removed for it to make an alteration to your profile. I know.. I was one of these Soldier's, many moons ago! That said it is important to check your concerns out.

good..good luck.

Hi cathykay. In your situation, it seems to me that your extraction is absolutely necessary, and that you don't fit into the scenario described by the webpage you cited. You're are specifically addressing your asymmetry; in order to do that, you HAVE to remove a tooth.