How are teeth retracted/pulled back?

[cutiepie2404]

I know that there are many ways/it may depend on your teeth or ortho/but i just want a general answer.

How are teeth retracted with braces? I have an overjet. I got upper extractions, and I was curious on how overjets were pushed back. I haven’t started retraction yet. It was to my understanding that elastics primarily retract teeth, but my ortho said she’s gonna retract using power chains. Do powerchains pull teeth back? I always thought they just close gaps.

[pcspinheiro]

That really depends on what type of movement is needed. Maybe you don't need or want full retraction but both sets of teeth coming together. Powerchains close gaps and that's what you end up after extractions, right? I would advise you to read an article by some Brazilian authors on the subject of space closure:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4896290/

Best of luck to you!

[assertives]

My ortho used tiebacks, e-links and elastics to retract my anterior teeth on my top arch. This is to correct my deep overbite. (Major ouch)

For my lower arch, he used powerchains to close my extraction gaps. He started with 2 empty links on the powerchains to connect to the molar that's next to the gap, and then slowly reduce that empty links to 1 and then to none as my molar moved up to close the gap. I don't know how it works, but the powerchain also seems to have brought my lower front teeth back in a little.

[cbraces678]

I am also correcting an overjet (3mm - I have no idea how severe that is or isn’t in the realm of overjets). My ortho’s plans so far are to use elastics to correct it. I’m not at that point yet. Also, I didn’t have any extractions.

[pcspinheiro]

I'm pretty sure that a 3 mm overjet is within normal range, so why bother?

[assertives]

I think the normal range is between 3 to 4mm. My overjet was around 8 to 10mm.

[cbraces678]

Oh I had no idea that would be considered normal. Good to know.

I'm pretty sure that a 3 mm overjet is within normal range, so why bother?

The overjet developed once my teeth started shifting. I haven't always had it, so I assume my ortho is dealing with it to perfect everything. I'm ok with that!

[XX50XX]

My overjet was 12 mm last time I saw an ortho, and he wanted me to have surgery to help correct it.