Extractions and braces to enhance profile?

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#1 Post by **Billyjo** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:19 pm

My wife is going this wednesday to have four teeth extrated (4 on the floor!). Her teeth are all straight with no gaps and she has a beautiful smile. She only recently had her first ever cavity and has always taken exceptional care of her teeth. She has a good bite but feels that in profile, her mouth sticks out too far. I do not see this and she is very attractive. She is 42 years old but can look very young. She had some prior braces put on but she has alot of teeth and has been told that because there is no space the braces had little effect. Her orthodontist refered her to another who suggested removing her bicuspids (? I think those are the ones) to provide room to adjust her teeth. My wife tells me that the back ones will be pulled forward and the front ones pushed back. I feel that she could regret it if it does not provide the results she seeks but by then it will be too late. She has always wanted to do something about this since she was a little girl. Am I concerned over nothing or could this lead to problems down the road both asthetic and physical? She had new braces put in last week (before the coming extractions) and her appearance has slightly been affected as the shape of her mouth has changed because of the metal work. I did not realize such a small shift could have such a visable affect. I really do not care about the looks but I do want her to be happy and know she is concerned about here appearance. I don't think most people really like their own profiles anyway. I do not know how to search for this issue but I did see that there is a topic "biggest mistake...". Any advice would be helpful. I thought that I posted this in another forum but do not see it. I really wanted to put it here though.
I would include some pics but I can't figure out how. I will post if I can figure it out.

#2 Post by **dr.j** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 5:50 pm

Extractions can improve a profile where the lips are deemed protrusive. In some ethnic groups this "bimaxillary protrusion" is a racial norm (esp. African-Americans). Extractions and good orthodontic treatment can make the teeth more upright and "pull" them in some. There is no data out there to suggest that extractions and orthodontics can cause long term problems if done properly. There are exceptions to the rule and obviously this portion of the web site is going to be alot about folks who are those patients with some complication or exceptions to the rule. Pics would be good. Good luck.

dr.j

#3 Post by **Billyjo** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 8:12 am

Here are some images. Hopefully the link will work. She is concerned about her profile. I would guess that most people do not really like their profiles all that much. Apparently she has always felt that her teeth are too prominant although it was never much of a concern until I put some pics of our last vacation into our screen saver. Occasionally she will see a pic come up which shows her in profile which she feels could be improved upon. Someone once said to her ..."oh I knew it was you because I could see your teeth coming". To me they are one of her most attractive features and perhaps the comment was not meant to be derrogatory..who knows. I think she should consult with a specialist who does both teeth and soft tissue...maxiofacial specialist I think they may be called. Three of the images show her face in profile. One is unaltered. Another I used photoshop to reduce the protrusion around her mouth. A third I slightly extended her chin. I think it is possible that since she does not have much chin that she might want to look into that possibility but it is a sensitive subject. When I brought up the subject of postponing the extractions for further consultation she became upset. Well here goes. I hope the link will work.

#4 Post by **fyrelight** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:54 am

Just a technical thing... instead of using "img"... replace those with "url" when you are posting a link. That way people can just click on it. You can edit the above post or repost it if you like.

#5 Post by **Billyjo** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 1:40 pm

Ok here is the link again...

http://www.imagestation.com/album/index ... 2116895112

I happened to take my elderly mother to the dentist today and spoke to my wifes dentist. She said she would not have the procedure done either and tried to get us in to see another orthodontist today. My wife reluctantly agreed after great pressure from me but when our dentist's office called to schedule it turns out the orthodontist is closed until Thursday! Even the orthodontist who will be performing the work has stated that he will not guarantee any improvement and is not providing a recomendadtion one way or the other but doing what my wife is asking. The extractions are scheduled for 8:30 AM tommorow and my wife is totally determined. I am writing now only to vent!!!!

#6 Post by **MusicIsMyLife** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:02 pm

I've got the same profile as your wife, and I've always been self-conscious about it. I'm not in the same situation though. My protrusion is mostly due to teeth flaring out. Good luck to your wife.