Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi! I'm new here, and after finding this site, i had a questin reguarding my son.

My son is 13, and well in need of braces. He has an overbite of about an inch.
The only course of treatment we've been given(by several different doctors), is to removes 4 permanent molars, two top two bottom. Followed by 3 years of braces, 2 of which will require some serious headgear time.

I'm okay with the braces and headgear because i know it must be done, but the 4 extranctions have me a bit concerned. 4 permanent molars? I mena he's only 13...also hes very small, heighth, and skinny, but his mouth is rather large...


Have any of you or your kids had anything similar?

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Have any of the orthos you've seen recommended palate expansion instead of extraction?

I agree that you should try to find an alternative that does not include extraction, if possible. See if there's a doc in your area that does Damon brackets (or similar self-ligating systems). There are cases where people who have had treatment with Damon brackets have not had to get extractions.

Sometimes, however extraction is unavoidable. For your own peace of mind, you may want to get a few more consultations. Your son's jaw and face are still growing, so maybe you'll find someone who can give you other options.

You may want to PM our "resident orthodontist," Dr. Rick (rickysa) and ask him what he thinks. If you do that, it would helpful to include some photos of your son's teeth and bite.

I lost permanent teeth because of orthodontic treatment as a child, my current ortho has expressed his disgust with that situation. I would always waive on the side of caution, and my own, very humble and non-professional opinion is that all healthy teeth should stay in the arch if at all possible, especially if hes only 13.

However, I'm not an ortho or a professional, so I would say that perhaps another consult would be an idea, see if a different ortho comes up with the same idea of treatment and also mentions extracting the same teeth...if more than one or two ortho's suggest the same thing, then I'd personally feel happier about proceeding.

Good luck!

My husband had several extractions as a teenager (back then I don't think they had other options), and then braces. His jaw is very narrow (as for appearances), and he's always complaining about not having enough teeth to chew properly.

I know you've already had 2 opinions, but I thought one more might help. I'd definitely seek other options before committing to extractions.

I agree with bbsadmin in that you should get another opinion before those extractions, and that Damons often work without extractions because they expand the palatte. However, the extractions may not be avoidable. I am getting Damons on tomorrow but I still needed all my widsoms out plus 2 other extractions. It's very scary to get permanant teeth removed but if it has to be done, I'm sure it will be well worth the sacrifice when you and your son see the final product.

But I'd definately get a 2nd opinion.

lol well I was just going by what my ortho said about the Damons as far as the extractions and palatte thing - I'm certainly no top-rate ortho myself He had showed me a comparison treatment if I would have chosen ceramics instead and my smile would have ended up much, much narrower than with the Damons, so I'm still glad I got them I'm sure it depends on the ortho and the patient

Well my son Matt and I are getting are braces tommorow he is getting regular metal braces for 2 years and a expander for 9 months . He might have to have a couple teeth rmove though hope this helps.