How Tooth Extraction Can Help Your Orthodontic Treatment
by Harold Coleman
If your teeth are crooked or your jaw needs adjustment, you are likely looking at having braces put on. However, misalignment is not always easy to fix. In some cases, not all of your teeth will be straightened, because two of them need to be removed for this form of orthodontics to be effective. Why would your orthodontist suggest tooth extraction before your braces can be attached?
Room to Move
Braces work by applying persistent, gentle pressure to your teeth to reposition them. This realignment broadly works by pushing your teeth backward over the course of your treatment. For some patients, this process can cause problems. Since your teeth need to be coaxed into the correct alignment, it might not be that there is enough physical space for them to move. When it's thought that dental overcrowding will be an eventual side effect of your treatment, tooth extraction (which is usually two of your premolars—one on either side) can be vital for the success of your treatment. You're essentially sacrificing some of your teeth for the greater good of the rest of your teeth.
Can't Stand the Pressure
Another reason why tooth extraction can be required before you receive braces is the very fact that braces need to apply pressure to your teeth. When a tooth is affected by periodontal disease and is in an advanced state of decay, it might not have the structural stability to survive the process. It will create a weak link in your treatment, and this can jeopardize the success of your orthodontic treatment.
A Necessary Step
If strategic extraction is recommended in your case, you might be concerned that the process will create a gap in your smile. This isn't anything to worry about. As your remaining teeth are slowly moved backward, they will align themselves in a configuration that fills the gap. So you don't need to think that braces preceded by extraction will result in beautifully straight teeth with a few gaps between them, since this isn't how it works. Remember that any dental professional will not want to extract a healthy tooth or even an unhealthy one that could be saved. So when extraction is advised, it's only because it's deemed necessary for your braces to do their job.
Tooth extraction before receiving braces is relatively common, so don't be afraid if your orthodontist suggests it. For more information about orthodontic treatments, contact a local orthodontist's office.
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About Me
I have never liked my teeth. I had a lot of dental problems, including deep staining and oddly shaped teeth. Every tooth did not have the same shape, and some were rounded while others were more square. Not surprisingly, I never smiled in pictures and not even much in real life. This left people thinking I was mean before they even met me. My dentist told me my best bet to improve the look of my smile was a set of porcelain dental veneers. He said they could make all my teeth white and the same shape. I said I wanted them without any hesitation, and we scheduled my procedures. I love my new teeth, and they really did change my life. I created this blog to help other people living with teeth they don't like realize that they do have options that can improve their smiles and their lives.