Anyone NOT regret their extractions?

[JumpTheDitch]

I totally agree JillD, that's why I've provided detailed info in my posts; I'm appalled any health professional can advocate and undertake a course of action that can be (and often is) so detrimental to their patients' long term health.

This is simply not true.

Your post implies that often people who have extractions will have long term health issues.

My post states the truth as it occurred for me. My ortho chose a course of treatment that resulted in detrimental long-term health affects for me. This is truth. It happened, it is a fact. You can comment on what you have experienced, but you have no right to comment that what I experienced did not happen. Do you know which ortho I went to? Where is your proof that my health professional didn't undertake a course of action that was detrimental to my long term health? I said often as there are so many cases around. Why would there be so many Functional Orthos and Neuromuscular Dentists practicing extraction reversal on post-extraction ortho patients now presenting with TMJD? You only have to search this board for numerous accounts of this type. Yeah, you hear from us, mostly because we wish we'd never had extractions & we hope other people don't suffer the same negative result. Again, just because it isn't the experience of each and every extraction case, doesn't mean it's never happened. It's clearly happened a number of times as both NM dentists I saw became NM dentists after both experienced extraction-and-retraction ortho work when they were general dentists. My CranioFacial Chiro says approximately half his patients are post-extraction orthodontic patients. Are you saying that my comments are untrue because you personally don't know many people for whom extractions have caused problems? No wonder you think it doesn't happen! Just because I haven't experienced extractions gone right doesn't make me believe your experience is wrong. Lucky you, I'm pleased for you that your extractions were great. But don't try to tell me my experience is wrong or that I'm the only person it's ever happened to.

I have tried to be respectful of your position. I've commented several times that I don't believe all extraction is wrong. I continually made it clear that I was commenting in reference to my own experience only, and that it was not a comment of other people's experiences. But I am tired of reading your comments to other posters of negative extraction experiences that they are wrong, and I don't take kindly to you telling me that I am wrong. It is wrong that you try to discredit my post about my own experience. People come to these boards for information and support. Having been a member of Archwired since 2006, I feel that I have as much right to comment on my own experience as you have to comment on yours. When someone posts a specific question asking about people's experiences with extraction I can and will comment. Such is my right, as it is yours. I am not rude enough to tell you that your experience of extractions is wrong. How rude of you try to tell me mine is. My experience is no less valid than yours, and if you advocate people don't get a thorough opinion before agreeing to such a final treatment such as extraction of healthy teeth then shame on you. All I advocate is due diligence. And to be your own advocate rather than relying on your ortho being one of the good ones who'll protect the integrity of your joints as well as the cosmetic appearance of your teeth. It is as untrue for you to say extractions are never a problem as it would be for me to say they always are.

[kennyandrew85]

Did you read my post? I'm not denying you had problems with extractions or that some other people are having problems too.

It's the way you are wording it to make it sound like negative long term effects happen OFTEN. to a high proportion of cases.

Without any facts to back this up you shouldn't make that claim as it's misleading when there are thousands and thousands of people out there who had extractions without issues.

People reading this board may not proceed with their treatment due to fear from these posts, even if they've seen multiple orthodontists who advise extractions. I get annoyed because I could have been one of them and stuck with bad teeth all my life.

It is rare to have these problems, as such, please advise with caution.

Also, please break up your sentences it's hard to read!

[Angel21]

I had extractions half a year ago and they are now almost closed up, my smile is looking much better. I can't comment on my long term effects of it now though. However both my sisters had extractions in their teens, one has some tmj issues (jaw locking and clicking), the other has no problems at all. I will admit I was very hesitant about removing teeth because I didn't want jaw problems either, and I did do a lot of research online beforehand. As I have a small lower jaw my only alternative to extractions was jaw surgery much to my shock! This only put me off getting braces in the first place. People that go on and on about not getting extractions, put me off for many years also.

Go see a 'functional' orthodontist they say... What can they do if you have no space in your mouth, your jaws are too small, you have an overjet, your teeth are too big? A palette expander won't work for everyone. If you have an overjet, how does that help? It's either push upper teeth back or the lower jaw forward.

So there isn't really an alternative, in fact going about it other ways can give you more problems than extractions could. There are sooooo many good results I've seen done by removing some teeth. Although I think if you have large teeth you get the best results (and less problems) from extractions.

I think there should be a site where there are before and after pictures shown of those who have had extractions vs those who were told to have them but didn't. And we can compare.

[TMJJill]

I have to speak up in agreement with Jumptheditch.

I have visited multiple dental and medical specialists and done extended research into TMJ and bite issues over the last 4 years. I also belong to other forums with people who have health issues and TMJD due to bite issues. One thing that is common throughout my research and my chats over the years is that poor dental work, orthodontic treatments and extractions have been the "trigger" for development of future bite issues and TMJD for many of those seeking treatment. Obviously it isn't the only trigger and it doesn't occur all the time. For those people who develop problems though, the pain and symptoms can significantly impact quality of life. Even the small chance of this happening makes it worth doing everything you can to prevent it. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

Frequently, I find people on other forums who have dental problems now and are getting braces for a second time due to poor work done by an orthodontist when they were younger. Usually their orthodontic treatment the first time included extractions and was only treating the cosmetic aspect of their teeth.

Based upon my personal experiences and what I've learned over the years, I feel it is important to bring this to the attention of others seeking attention. NOT to make people afraid or delay getting treatment. I want others to educate themselves, seek out more than one opinion and ask a lot of questions before agreeing to any treatments that make permanent changes to their body. (No matter what the medical or dental issue is.) In the case of dental work, not all dentists/orthodontists are trained the same and many approaches are different. It is important to find the approach and practitioner that is best for you.

I didn't ask as many questions as I should have when I was in my 20's. I'm fully regretting that now. I had a long practicing dentist who removed my upper wisdom teeth and did an extremely poor job of it. After the extractions, I ended up having bruxism issues when I slept which, even with treatment, eventually caused me further problems. Now, I'm in my 40's with significant TMJD issues and I'm in braces that I would never have needed otherwise since I was blessed to have my teeth come in fairly straight when I was younger, despite having what I learned later was a pretty narrow arch. I now have permanent significant hearing loss as well as a direct result of my jaw being pushed back into my ears. I will never have a fully "healed" bite again. I will never be completely free of the muscular pain and ear issues that TMJD causes. I will never again be able to hear speech normally. I will always have to have some sort of nighttime treatment/splint/retainer for sleep issues caused by my jaw problems. I can't undo what that dentist did. What I would do if I had it to do over though would be to ask many more questions and advocate for myself.

Some of the real questions I would want answers to would be:

-What training do you have to provide this treatment?
-How many times have you done this?
-Why do I need to have this done?
-What will the benefit of this be to me?
-What is the potential long-term impact if I have this done?
-What are my other options? What are the pros and cons of each option?
-How does this fit in with the rest of my treatment?
-How are you doing the procedure?
-What can I expect in terms of healing?

Because of the seriousness of this decision, I would seek out another opinion. In the case of anything dental, I would seek out a well trained functional orthodontist. They have much more training in treating bites and the function of the jaw as part of the orthodontic treatment. That doesn't mean that I would make a different decision or go with the other dentist. I just highly advocate making a fully informed decision and understanding the risks involved.

In the case of extractions specifically, they may very well be necessary, but I would want to ensure it really was and I'd want to ensure it was the best of all of my options. I would also want someone well trained to provide the treatment-- both for the extractions and the orthodontics.

[Mylovedtheeth]

I think the cause of TMJ problems isn't extractions but poor bite. I've already have some moderate TMJ problems due to incorrect bite and that was a primary reason of orthodontic treatment witch involved extractions. TMJ disorder is combined with spine and problems worsens with time as we get older. So when you go to a dentist who have poor training you better be scarred.
The fact is the live isn't free of bad decisions and mistakes, we live only at one direction, many times theres no way back. but we wouldn't know until try and check. We can get multiply opinions, search for the best orthodontist and maybe won't avoid side effect.

[belistic10]

I havent read through ALL the comment, bit long... BUT

I have had 4 extractions (2 top, 2 bottom) pre molars before treatment. Now i had overcrowding at the bottom and a overjet, I have been very glad I got the extractions, my teeth have all straightened so nicely and my face shap I dont think has changed much at all, ever so slightly for the positive I'd say I'm very very happy with my results so far over 12mths into treatment. I trusted my Ortho he has a great reputation in Adelaide, so no regrets here!

[seaduced]

You tuber CCarrieB documented her extraction orthodontic reversal process (approx 4 years)..she does look different comparing beginning to end.

[verso]

I had extractions (4 premolars) when I was younger and going into braces for the first time.

I feel like it wasn't really my decision to make at the time, but now that I'm grown, I can see that there was just no other way to do it that would have made sense. I have a very small mouth, and there just isn't any room to spare in there.

I understand the apprehension and the concerns a person might have, as keeping as many healthy teeth as possible is surely a priority and needless extractions are no good. But, that being said, I think a reasonable person needs to assess the situation honestly. If you've got a small mouth, you've got a small mouth, and a few teeth may need to come out in order to produce a straight, healthy smile.

In short, I don't regret the extractions. But that's me, and that's my case. I don't *think* the extractions have changed the shape of my face at all either, although it would be hard to know as I was essentially going through puberty at the same time I was undergoing orthodontic treatment. At any rate, I can't imagine what my smile would have looked like without the extractions. It wouldn't have been straight. That's for sure. And I'd have been all teeth.

[djspeece]

I had two extractions prior to bracing: one was needed due to an improperly installed crown that caused the underlying tooth to decay and another was due to overcrowding -- in fact, it had been slanted toward the tongue since I was a young adult (66 now) and all the dentists that treated me wanted to yank it, but since I kept it clean it caused no obvious issues. It did have a big impact on my bite, as I learned. I also had a bone graft implanted at the same time. The extractions were difficult due to (1) dense bones and (2) long roots. The dentist who extracted them struggled and eventually confessed they were the most difficult ones he had ever done. Lucky me. I survived it. Everything healed normally, braces caused movement as predicted, and now I am perfect. OK, that's a bit of an overstatement, but I don't regret extractions. The shape of my face didn't change. My jaw line is still good. I did the same thing in my yard. Well not exactly. I have a home on about an acre, lots of room for gardening and roaming. But the previous owner, the original owner, had planted trees 30 years ago that had simply overgrown their location. So I did have some perfectly healthy trees removed to enable more light for my ground plantings and improve air flow.
To answer your question: no, I do not regret my extractions. The orthodontist provided a sound plan, explained the process, and assessed relative risk to benefit. I have been out of braces for over a year now, and wore them for three semi-glorious years. Each case is different. Best of luck to you.

[Lovespain5]

As I suffered from bimax protrusion and lip incompetence, I don't regret the extraction of my 4 first premolars at all. Moreover, I had very minor crowding before starting the treatment. I know if I rejected the extractions, my teeth would become very well-aligned but the principal problems wouldn't have been corrected. On the contrary, the bimax protrusion would probably be aggravated. The treatment has changed my facial features, but for the best.

[ArchedRN]

I am a rare bird and only have one extraction... And we're not closing the gap yet.. But I don't regret it as I didn't want to kick out my teeth trying to fit them in the arch... But I don't know how I will have a coveted
Centered midline with one extraction... I want to follow this thread though and see y'alls progress for sure.

[GreyViolets]

I got one tooth extracted… and I regret it.

Getting an implant I'm done with everything.

[nickycddubluver]

my dentist told my mom that i was going to have really crowded teeth to save money on braces VERY EARLY ON (10 eyars old or so) she had 2 permanent teeth on my top taken out that way when other permanent teeth grew in it wont be crowded and wont get all crooked thus avoiding braces. She didnt get the other 2 taken out on my bottom and now my bottom teeth are all crooked and hanging out! i dont regret it at all! My top teeth looks pretty good without braces!

[entelechy12345]

In a survey I conducted, 85% of patients who had premolar extractions regretted it. Granted the survey might have reached more of the dissatisfied clients, but the total of dissatisfied clients were about 1100 people.

Here is an article that summarizes this survey, which has patient testimonies:

[url][/url
https://karinbadt.medium.com/premolar-e ... aa115481bf

[djspeece]

I've had extractions over the years for a variety of reasons, and do not regret any of them. Many will be horrified with the Navy policy of extracting unerupted molars, to avoid a situation where they may become impacted when we are deployed and beyond dental care. I had two removed. I had a couple of others that were due to overcrowding, and as a result my smile improved as did my bite. They all were not uncomplicated extractions due to my long roots, but I have no regrets.