Question about pulling teeth and braces?

[xool]

i went to the orthodontist today for a braces consultation and they told me i needed two teeth pulled so it would make room for my k9's to fit in place, the teeth that need to be pulled are the teeth behind my k9's

should i do it?
are there any risks to teeth pulling such as a weakening of the gum line and causing other teeth to fall off with time?
is there a way of straight teeth without pulling teeth?

any other information would be appreciated
thank you in advance

ps.
if you have a overbite, do you need to pull teeth?

i went to the dentist a month ago and she told me that in order to get braces, two teeth need to be pulled so it makes room and the overbite doesn't get worst

but aren't braces for the crowding to be fixed?
and isn't an overbite fixed with the rubber bands?

should i just go to another braces doctor to see what he tells me

[Sunny]

Hi Xool!

Extractions are not so common now, but sometimes they still need to be done to get the teeth and bite where it needs to be.

If you're not confident with this approach, please consult with some more ortho's and listen to what they recommend. It's always best to 'shop around' when you're going to be paying for something as important as orthodontic treatment.

Some people who have overbites and/or overjets will need extractions other's won't. It's about the size of your jaw bone, the size of your mouth, the size of your teeth, the number of teeth you have, etc. Some need to have extractions for stable results ... which means that as long as you commit to wearing your retainers for life, your teeth should stay where they are when your braces are removed.

Braces are for many things ... crowding just being one of the more common problems. Some patients have great looking teeth, with no crowding, but their bite may be open or off in some way, that by having orthodontic treatment, this can be fixed. Gaps is another issue, impacted teeth another.

Elastics are used for many issues when you're having orthodontic treatment. Moving teeth backwards or forwards within the arch is one of them. For people with a small overjet, this may be relative straight forward, as long as there's space for the teeth to move.

Definite a few more consults should help.

Good luck with discussing your case with orthodontist's!

[mariagn]

Hi Xool,
You should definetely seek other opinions. I was like you, I didn't want any extractions. I didn't have any extra teeth, but I did have some crowding and an overbite. I was really hoping that pulling teeth wasn't something that I needed to do. My ortho did tell me that there was a possibility that teeth might need to get pulled, but he also told me that he didn't like pulling teeth and that he would decide later in the treatment if that would really be necessary. I was happy with that answer. It is four months into my treatment and my teeth have straightened a lot and my ortho has never mentioned pulling teeth again. So Xool, you should get other opinions and see what other orthos tell you.

[Denise]

I had to have two teeth pulled to make room for my overbite to correct, and also to make room for the teeth to move to become straight. It never hurts to get a second opinion, but I know of many people who had to have extractions for their orthodontic treatment. The most important thing is that you find a doctor you can trust, and then put your faith in that person and their abilities. This is why we pay them, to know what they are doing and to treat us in the manner that we expect. Good luck!!

BTW pulling of the teeth will not cause other teeth to fall out. You're fine

[Silvana7rojas]

Wait, so if you've had extractions you have to wear retainers forever??! I had 4 teeth remove, 2 at the top, and 2 at the bottom because of some minor crowding that I think couldve been fixed with a palattal expander. If what ur saying is true of gonna be really pissed at my orthodontist.

[Sunny]

You have to wear retainers forever after orthodontic treatment ... extractions or no extractions. You start off with full time wear, then maybe every night and then a few nights a week for life.

[Jobo]

Hey Sunny (and everyone else of course) do you know if your orthodontist will provide this to you for life, and at what cost? I know I'll have to wear a retainer forever and that's fine by me as long as my teeth stay straight and healthy! What I mean is can you approach any ortho for a new retainer, say if you lost your old one?

[catgyrl]

Wait, so if you've had extractions you have to wear retainers forever??! I had 4 teeth remove, 2 at the top, and 2 at the bottom because of some minor crowding that I think couldve been fixed with a palattal expander. If what ur saying is true of gonna be really pissed at my orthodontist.

Hi Silvana-

I noticed that you've posted the same comment in a few threads now. My advice would be: What's done is done; they can't replace the teeth that were extracted; so it might be best to just move on with your treatment. As for the retainers, yes, you have to wear them forever if you want to maintain your straight teeth. Yes, it is the orthodontist's job to tell you these things, but it's also your job to ask questions.

I hope things work out for you.

[Sunny]

Jobo it's your responsibility to look after the retainers you get when your treatment is finished. Many ortho's include this in the initial cost, unless there's some change. For me my retainers are included, but my bonded lingual retainers will cost extra.

If you loose your retainers you would need to pay for new ones ... and to have new moulds made first. I think you'll find any ortho will help you with this ... although hopefully it won't happen!

Good luck!

[fullofquestions]

i'm in the process of getting braces too.
i also have two teeth behind my k9s and have to ahve them pulled
after i get those two and two on the bottom i will have a total of 8 teeth taken out just to make space for my braces.
i think you should because in the long run, even if we will both look like vampires, our teeth will be gorgeous and we will feel so much better about our smiles
or thats how i look at it.