Should I go for undoing extractions as soon as possible?

[Kirti]

I got braces a year ago. Crooked teeth but bite was fine. My four premolars were extracted to create space. Now seeing the negative changes in my face and feeling less room for tongue and slight difficulty in breathing when I lie down, I wish to get my extraction spaces reopened. However, the internet is mostly full of people who go for this treatment later in life when they face serious problems like sleep apnea and TMJ. I'm just 18.
I read that the consequences of extractions will get worse and worse with time. Is it true? And having the extraction spaces reopened and getting implants will save me from those later in life? Or should I just wait for them to occur?
I'm specially asking the folks who have been or going through reverse extraction orthodontics.

[Kirti]

[quote="Kirti"]I got braces a year ago. Crooked teeth but bite was fine. My four premolars were extracted to create space. Now seeing the negative changes in my face and feeling less room for tongue and slight difficulty in breathing when I lie down, I wish to get my extraction spaces reopened. However, the internet is mostly full of people who go for this treatment later in life when they face serious problems like sleep apnea and TMJ. I'm just 18.
I read that the consequences of extractions will get worse and worse with time. Is it true? And having the extraction spaces reopened NOW and getting implants will save me from those later in life? Or should I just wait for them to occur?
I'm specially asking the folks who have been or going through reverse extraction orthodontics.[/quote]

[Tath4746]

Hi Kirti,

I am really sorry to hear about your experience and if you are beginning to have these detrimental health and facial issues, you really need to seek professional Orthodontic advice to discuss the option of reversing the process as soon as possible; especially if these issues began after initiating Orthodontic Treatment with 4 premolar extractions and you realize that these issues are being caused by your Orthodontic Treatment. I speak from personal experience with 4 premolar extractions with retraction for Orthodontic purposes as a teenager (I am in the 30-40 year old age-range) and am currently reversing the Extraction/Retraction Orthodontic Treatment due to the negative continuous facial problems, TMJ, inner ear disturbances, balance, lack of tongue space, postural, narrow/small mouth, and other health-related issues. To be honest, hearing that you are experiencing these issues at 18 years old and you realize that these issues began after beginning your Orthodontic Treatment and you are having breathing issues when you lie down, less space for your tongue, and negative facial changes please seek professional Orthodontic advice AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! In all honesty (speaking from personal experience), hearing that you are beginning to have breathing issues when you lie down at 18 years old and that you wish to get your extraction spaces reopened, do it as soon as possible and don't wait for them to occur! Check out Dr. William Hang at Face Focused Orthodontics in California, U.S.A. (website: Facefocused.com) he is the expert at reversing Extraction/Retraction Orthodontics. - Tath4746

[Kirti]

Thank you so much Tath4746 for your concern. I am not facing all the negative consequences now. I just see negative changes in my face and face slight difficulty in breathing when I lie down. It's just slight, not serious.
I got to know from the internet that these things become serious with time and you develop TMJ and sleep apnoea.
I'm not facing any serious consequences now. So should I still go for reversal treatment as soon as possible? Will it prevent the serious consequences to occur in future? And anyone with extractions ALWAYS faces these consequences?
I'm asking this because I'm from India and there are no orthodontists who do reversal treatment here. I know about Dr hang but I'll have to go abroad for this. It will incur a HUGE cost. That's why I wanna be sure if it's really worth it or not.

[Tath4746]

[quote="Kirti"]Thank you so much Tath4746 for your concern. I am not facing all the negative consequences now. I just see negative changes in my face and face slight difficulty in breathing when I lie down. It's just slight, not serious.
I got to know from the internet that these things become serious with time and you develop TMJ and sleep apnoea.
I'm not facing any serious consequences now. So should I still go for reversal treatment as soon as possible? Will it prevent the serious consequences to occur in future? And anyone with extractions ALWAYS faces these consequences?
I'm asking this because I'm from India and there are no orthodontists who do reversal treatment here. I know about Dr hang but I'll have to go abroad for this. It will incur a HUGE cost. That's why I wanna be sure if it's really worth it or not.[/quote]

Hi Kirti, I speak from my personal experience with 4 premolar extractions with retraction; so I would say yes you should go for it as soon as possible based on my experience. However, it is your choice as to whether or not you decide to go for reversal treatment. Your health, face, teeth, and overall well-being are priceless. Thanks, -Tath4746

[Nozzelnut]

Any time you have breathing restrictions lying down; you're putting more stress on the other body systems. Obstructive sleep apnea and all the issues that come with it can be deadly. So there's really no mild sleep apnea!

If it's starting at 18 for you; it only gets worse; not better with age.

[Kirti]

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[abro884]

I would go for it now if you can - tell the orthodonrist if you are still in treatment that you are not happy with the retracrion all, and feel certain that reopening the spaces is the best way to go. That you are not happy with rhe retraction. I was just apologetic and acknowlesged how hard i'dmadeit for him. But i was also pretty blunt that i hated the changes to my face, and that surgery (i wasaclass 2upper extractions case) was the better route.

He agreed to do so but had to meet with aeveral specialiata like the surgeon to determine what thebest thing to so would be.

In the interim I saw probably 10 orher orthodontists and a dentist (whole hates extraxtions and said ahe wasnt aurprised i wanted my face back).

Several of the orthodontists were prepared to so it, no qualms. They just thought i was crazy because it was a 2.5 yr course with surgery in the middle. I legitimately said I would do anything to fix it, and was totally ok with that.i can see how that's confuse ppl.

The dentist of course said if i could find a surgeon to work with her she'd do it.

I feel like extractions stole my face, comfort and health.

I will do essentially anything to reverse it

I wasonly 8months in to treatment. Scary how quickly they can make changes that take a year or more ro resolve.

[Kidolize]

Hi! I have same issue about my face 6 months in treatment and my face changes drastically.. can you send me your before and after pic? I just want to see if we are the same.. i will send mine too. Here is my email: joanamarie.morales@gmail.com im planning to reverse my extraction too.. Thank you! Good luck to us..

[Kidolize]

I cant message you here in private. Sorry to message uou here!

[abro884]

Hi Kidolize - i can't send via here but will email. It's been 4 months since I told the ortho I wanted to reverse it and still waiting on the changed treatment plan. I'm depressed, to say the least, and struggle everyday with how I look.

Abro884@hotmail.com if u want to share pics

[pcspinheiro]

This is something that most people don't know, and most orthos don't tell you, but extractions will most likely change your face. For better or worse, but that's up to you to decide whether you want to risk it or not, and make an INFORMED DECISION! Nobody addressed with me the possible changes to my face and, let's face it, at the age of 40 (like me) nobody wants to see their face/smile change if they had no grudge with it in the previous 40 years. Even if extractions MAY be necessary to achieve the best possible dental result, does everyone want to go there, or does everybody absolutely need to? My answer would be NO! there are always compromises that can be made, if you don't mind something less than perfect. In my specific case I had class II div 2 malocclusion, but guess what? NONE of it ever bothered me. I could smile and eat more than fine, I had no bad teeth and all functioned as it should for what it they are meant to do. My only problem was the crooked front upper teeth causing wear on my lowers, that's it. Not even their crookedness bothered me on any other other levels. The ortho's desire to give me perfect teeth has caused such a cascade of problems that I have trouble remembering them all. i was "bullyied" to get an extraction treatment, because it was the only way, blablabla, without explaining the goals of it and possible consequences. One of them, I know now, would be to destroy my face. My mandible is deficient but not aesthetically so, since I have o good chin. Retracting my upper teeth to meet the lowers would make me look like a freak. Only to fix problems with my bite that never were problems at all. If they were I would have known before I was 40! Unfortunately, I educated myself too late and had already lost one healthy tooth... So now I pulled the plug on the treatment plan and only plan to retract my teeth ~2 mm on each side, to keep things balanced. The rest of the extraction space will be closed by moving the molars forward. At least that's what I said I want to be done. AND give me back my natural smile without all my front teeth lined up by their tips, leaving a roller coaster of a gum line. If I had ever complained about anything else I could understand, but I so specifically said I was happy with my teeth and that I only wanted to address that one minor issue. I'm still so mad and depressed about all this (losing one healthy tooth, developing TMD, losing mouth space and consequent speech issues due to teeth tilting inward, possible neck injury trying to fix a rotated vertebra that was "supposedly" the source of my TMD (don't believe it ever was...). Anyway, think twice, twice before embarking on orthodontics. Then, if you decide it's for you, still simmer on it some more. Only then go ahead with it BUT NEVER EVER settle for first opinions on treatment plans. ALWAYS ask how you are expected to look afterward, not just teeth-wise!!! And always ask yourself, DO I REALLY NEED ALL THAT? I have such tiny little bother in my mouth... Always chose the conservative approach, and see if that meets your basic goals; you can always change your mind if you have too many teeth for your mouth, but once teeth are pulled they're gone for good and NOTHING can heal the anger and regret of losing healthy teeth for no good reason. NEVER be talked into following a treatment that you are not confident with or that you think it's overboard with your complaints. JUST WALK AWAY.

My 2 cts to avoid others making my mistakes. I'm paying them dearly...

[abro884]

I'm pretty sure you can coerce your ortho in to reversing things for you if you do what I did - write them emails about how much the extractions have changed how you look (negatively - and mention comments from friends and family!!), when it started (for me it was continuously worsening from about tray 11 of 28 - the first retraction tray of my invisalign), and then go on to say that you are absolutely certain you want it reversed.

I found a practitioner who has reversed the extractions from my ortho on heaps of people because they are too pull-happy. I just told the ortho if he didn't do it, I knew someone who would. He pretty much jumped to attention after that and started listening up - probably because he realized any BS to do with 'not possible' wasn't going to be accepted, and he's lose my case.

He made me meet with the jaw surgeon (I'm class 2) to be 'sure' and so i 'understand the pros and cons of surgery fully before embarking on a changed treatment plan'. Which I knew meant "i'm hoping you'll be too scared to want to reverse this". It's just stupid because where was the warning before he pulled 2 permanent teeth and all the issues it can cause? Where was the warning of 'You'll loose your face"?

There are people who have had their faces maimed in serious ways, and they put their lives at risk for new faces/transplants because of how crucial the face is to quality of life. While I can't comment on this because hey - it's teeth right, not my whole face and I'm lucky for that - I can understand why you'd do that. Completely. Because of how much I've been affected by the changes I've seen come from retraction (and it's the retraction, not the extraction itself).

Anywho, that's my update.

[BadMal]

i just got my brace of last week and am so unhappy with results, because like the rest of you I had to have 4 premolars removed. this has caused countless members of my family to comment on the thin, narrow and sunken in appearance to my face instead of my teeth, which aren't any better. yes the teeth are straight but the wide smile i used to have, the one thing i liked about my teeth is not gone, after being assured that the arch would not become narrow and there would be no gaps. I am so upset I have no idea what to do next, i'm the uk and in the process of sending a very upset email to my current ortho to try and reverse the changes he has created and refused to warn me about. my jaw is out of alignment and does not rest at all in place, when i bring my teeth together the weight of them is on my canines resulting in an annoying jaw and head ache. in case he doesn't take me further as a patient after this does anyone have any advice what to do next? I'm assuming trying to reverse it asap would be ideal, any one in the uk know who to go to, to reverse extractions?

[Foolswires]

Does anyone know where I can get this done in the UK or europe? I can't seem to find anyone who does this! thanks