Question about ppl getting front teeth extracted...

[onny]

Hello,

I read in many many reports of patients that they got 2, 4 or even 6 teeth extracted for either reason to fasten the treatment by 6-12 month or to make some space and let the orthdontist save the hassle of expanding procedure.

For wisdom teeth and permanent damaged teeth its logic to get them extracted, but hell I see young and healthy people here every time I check some reports who get extracted front teeth for virtually NO REASON. I always ask my self dont you have a common sense? in at least 50% of the cases the orthodontist ist just lazy and want to save work and doest care about your health. And I really dont get why those people then accept that extraction as it were something very normal. Do you get fingers extracted too as a normal orthopedic procedure?

Do you understand what I mean? I just want to warn ALL people who become patients and get offered extractions to ask at least another doc and ask for alternates. Broader smiles are beautier then smaller smiles. Some ppl have so small jaws that it looks really handycaped already. Those orthos should be sued, sorry but just my 2 cents about extractions...

[onny]

Surly I am no ortho, but those three ortho books I read to get more infos about my treatment all warn to use extractions as the very last option and dont overdo it, like many of the docs prefer todo, because its the easiest choice. (I can scan those pages if you dont believe that) So im not just imaging something and write that here. Theres also an UK movie documentation somehwere of orthos telling that 90% of UK extractions are unnecessary. sounds a bt high for me, but 50% are for sure. The explanation you posted sounds logic, but what I wrote is as true as it too. There may be harder ways, longer ways, more expensive ways, but there are nearly always ways to avoid extractions. I just dont understand why some people dont care of loosing healthy teeth and dont care about it for even a single second. (Doctors are not perfect, they do errrors too, dont believe everything blind just because of Dr. med. in front of a name.)

[SandraJones]

I want to add to Meryaten's great info ...

There's a limit to how far you can move the teeth outward without creating a problem. So then what can you do if your teeth don't fit well into your arches ? Once you reach a certain age (I think it's approx 15-16), you can no longer do upper arch expansion without a surgical assist (slicing the palate). I'm not aware of any way to expand the lower arch with cutting the mandible. If the choice is extractions or major surgery, extractions don't seem so bad !

[platinum]

I get very suspicious if there is extractions involved. I informed my ortho that I am not going accept any exractions. So, there.
I think that exrractions make your arch smaller. It could well be so, because the amount of teeth surface is smaller.

[flipib05]

Wow!!!!!!!!

Meryaten, you need an award. I had no idea what you were saying because you use such smart words. Either that or I'm stupid. Anyways, Good job!

[BracesAgain]

What do Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Kristin Davis, Heidi Klum, Princess Diana, Molly Sims & Kylie Minogue all have in common? THEY HAD EXTRACTIONS!!!! There are many cases where extractions are warranted and provide better aesthetic and functional results than a nonextraction treatment plan. Search the web for J Bowman's articles on the extraction/non-extraction debate. You have a lot to learn


"Broader smiles are beautier then smaller smiles. Some ppl have so small jaws that it looks really handycaped already. Those orthos should be sued, sorry but just my 2 cents about extractions...[/quote]

[onny]

There are many cases where extractions are warranted and provide better aesthetic and functional results than a nonextraction treatment plan.

Wrong:
There are SOME cases where extractions are warranted and provide better aesthetic and functional results than a nonextraction treatment plan.

And listing some so called "stars" doesn't help this discussion in any way.

[eggraid101]

Broader smiles are beautier then smaller smiles. Some ppl have so small jaws that it looks really handycaped already. Those orthos should be sued, sorry but just my 2 cents about extractions...

Broad smiles do look very nice, but unfortunately not all people have the genetics that provide for broad smiles. Smooth skin is also considered beautiful; would you suggest that it is the dermatologist's fault that someone doensn't have perfect skin?

As an orthodontist, we have to work within the constraints that mother nature stes for us and we surely have to consider the health of the teeth, gums and jaws. Fortunately there have been many advances in orthodontic therapy that allow us to get a more aesthetically appealing result than we could in the past, including jaw surgery. If someone who has a skeletal disharmony is unwilling or unable to have jaw surgery, we may be faced with a result that may not be absolutely perfect, but for most people it can still be a huge improvement.

I think we would agree that it is preferable to avoid extractions, but your assertion that orthodontists are committing malpractice by taking teeth out in people who have a small jaw is ridiculous. To use the example above, if the table is already small, and you can't make the table any bigger by doing surgery, sometimes you have no other choice but to remove some boxes.

Extracting teeth is the best option for some people, and can produce an outstanding result.

[BracesAgain]

If you don't want to educate yourself on why people get extractions, that is your problem. There are many reasons: stability, health of gum tissue, skeletal deformities, and so on and so forth. You obviously haven't studied orthodontics and are just spewing your own personal unresearched opinions on this board. It's quite disrespectful of you to think that you would know better than an orthontist and patient as to who shouldn't get extractions. Obviously you read three choice books on the topic. Why not try reading publications from peer-reviewed orthodontic journals? Just a thought!

[Lisa65]

Speaking from a personal perspective, the reason my treatment is so complex now, is partly due to my ortho's reluctance to extract more teeth! The easiest course of action would've been just to whip out 2 molars and move my front teeth back into the gap. I'd still have got a wider smile than I started with, purely from getting my overlapping front teeth uncrossed and lined up, and the crossbite on my premolars straightened up, and it would have made the treatment a piece of cake, relatively speaking.

My class II bite is hereditary (my mum's teeth are the same). Big teeth, small jaws, slightly narrower top jaw in relation to the bottom, and a tendency to class II - all adding up to insufficient space in the top jaw to accommodate 16 teeth. Maybe if palatal expansion had been available routinely 30 years ago, or if my parents had been rich enough to send me to a private ortho/OS, then yes, I might not've needed teeth out when I was a teen and I might not be in this position now. But having those teeth out at least stopped me from being called "goofy" in school!

The ortho can only work with the canvas they have. Like Dr Mullen just said, if you don't have the genetics for a good complexion, or if you have a skin disease then your skin will never be perfect. You might need make-up to cover imperfections to make you look your best. It's the same with teeth. You can't always get a "perfect" result (class I bite, ideal occlusion, 32 teeth), but you can get one that looks attractive and is functional, and sometimes that involves extractions.

If you don't want extractions that's your choice, but don't tell people on here that it's always wrong to get them. That's why we go to orthodontists for our treatment - because they are professionals and we are not.

[Miss Smiley]

I have a mixed bite, and I had extractions because I didn't have anywhere to expand the palate without surgery. Since I already have a wide smile, I would have been left with a wider set upper jaw and looked funny. I went with extractions because my brother is an OS and told me that would be the better route, leaving me with a better facial balance. The extractions are not really making things faster or easier, I'm still in it for the long haul of 2 1/2 to 3 years. I'm hoping 2 1/2 but it will probably be 3 and a few months.

[missann]

What do Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Kristin Davis, Heidi Klum, Princess Diana, Molly Sims & Kylie Minogue all have in common? THEY HAD EXTRACTIONS!!!! There are many cases where extractions are warranted and provide better aesthetic and functional results than a nonextraction treatment plan. Search the web for J Bowman's articles on the extraction/non-extraction debate. You have a lot to learn


"Broader smiles are beautier then smaller smiles. Some ppl have so small jaws that it looks really handycaped already. Those orthos should be sued, sorry but just my 2 cents about extractions...

[/quote]

omg! really do all they had extractions! they smileis look beautiful, I had extractions too and I am always worrying about how I will look like... I can´t avoid being worried, and I am always looking at other´s people teeth and smiles

[missann]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhVNoiSypcI

please look at this video, do you had a better profile like this after having 4 bicuspids pulled?

[Jen8626]

I've had two pre-molar's removed, I have a class II maloclussion and a 10mm overjet. Without extractions my arches wouldn't be able to align to improve my bite. I've read if you don't have extractions this can lead to "a horse mouth" which, please feel free to disagree, doesn't seem aesthetically pleasing?!!!
Everyone's treatment plans are different. I get so fed up with people generalising orthodontics.

[DrJasonKTam]

While it is preferable to avoid extractions whenever possible, there are times where extractions would yield better treatment, even if there is enough space to align the teeth. Crowding is only one reason for extractions. One must also consider periodontal support, profile, and midlines amongst other factors.

If presented with a plan for extractions, make sure your orthodontist explains why they are required, and lets you know the risks and benefits of such a plan.