To extract or not to extract for braces?

[Subieazndoll]

I am still going back and forth on wether I should extract 4 bicuspids 2/3 ortho says I should. 3rd says its possible not to just will do IPR instead to make room. I am 29 years old and i like my profile where it is at now. I have minor crowding but my mouth is already full. I'm hoping that I won't have a fanned out look....I do believe that it's possible for me not to extract them, it will just create more work for the ortho. I have my braces on 2 months now and movements are very slow.... Sighs.

[denSMSgt]

I wish mine hadn't been extracted back in the 80s! I was young and didn't know any better, small mouth, typical four pre-molars gone and I've been told now they could have likely done okay keeping them. I wonder, like you said, it's just easier for the orthodontist to work with them gone. Is it just the easy route they want to take? I'm sure not in all cases, but it makes me wonder a bit...

Cheers,

dennis

[Subieazndoll]

Ya I do feel that a lot of ortho just want to do it the easier route they would get instant results , my ortho even said that its more work on him without extractions, to do IPR requires fine tuning and little tweaks here and there. Damon braces these days don't require extractions and was able to treat even more severe cases compared to mine, so I am hopeful that I shouldn't need extractions. i was almost leaning toward extraction because I just want to see instant results since I'm impatient , and its only been 2 months since I have braces lol

[kennyandrew85]

Damon braces these days don't require extractions and was able to treat even more severe cases compared to mine, so I am hopeful that I shouldn't need extractions.

Sorry can I just say that Damon brackets are simply a brand of self ligating brackets, they have doors rather than elastic bands (ligs).

The only benefits of this is you don't get as much friction and there are no ligs to lose elastic strength in 6-8 weeks. I have read this quite a few times that DAMON avoid extractions but it's all marketing talk, if you need extractions you need extractions...

The main reason a lot of us get misaligned teeth is because the arch (U-shape) is too small to fit lots of large teeth on it, they have to overlap to fit on the arch. IPR can fix this by shaving teeth to be smaller if it's not extreme but if you're teeth are just too big for your arch then you need to have extractions and there is no way of avoiding it if you want a good result.


DAMON IS JUST A BRACKET TYPE, THEY ARE JUST OPEN/SHUT DOORS THAT REPLACE ELASTIC BANDS, NOTHING MORE.

If an orthodontist doesn't extract when required then you'll end up with flared teeth, the only way to fit them neatly onto the arch is pointing them outwards and thus risking problems such as tooth or gum loss. Children should not always need extractions because the bone in the mouth is not fused and much more flexible for growth if expanded outwards.

[starfish88]

I would always advise you to proceed with the non-extraction option and extract later on if needs be. I have a non-extraction treatment plan but my ortho said this may change depending on movement. Extraction is necessary in SOME cases but if you are borderline then its worth seeing if you can get away with keeping the teeth first.

[sweetcynic]

I am still going back and forth on wether I should extract 4 bicuspids 2/3 ortho says I should. 3rd says its possible not to just will do IPR instead to make room. I am 29 years old and i like my profile where it is at now. I have minor crowding but my mouth is already full. I'm hoping that I won't have a fanned out look....I do believe that it's possible for me not to extract them, it will just create more work for the ortho. I have my braces on 2 months now and movements are very slow.... Sighs.

Might be good to discuss the likely consequences(facial profile, treatment stability, etc.) of each approach with your ortho first

[plugnickel69]

I totally agree with Dennis. Also, I have seen many people who had braces and obviously went the non-extraction route--and their teeth are flared out. To me, when they're finished, it looks like they need braces.