emubird Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 The orthodontist is recommending my daughter get two adult top teeth removed in order to straighten the rest. Anybody have experience with this? It seems like something that's done all the time, but there are horror stories around the web about not having enough teeth to chew with, and faces sinking in as people age. I'm mostly wondering about people who had this done a number of years ago. What are the long term consequences? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I'm not sure how old your dd is, but one of the options presented to us for my dd was to have 4 adult teeth pulled to make enough room in her mouth. The other option was to have 2 rounds of braces, the first one starting out when she was younger. So I don't have any long term consequence info, but we opted against pulling adult teeth and she finished up with her first round of braces and is now waiting for all her permanent teeth to come in for her second round (if needed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seraphina Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had several teeth removed 20 years ago to have my braces put on. I have rather large teeth and my mouth is small. I had teeth coming in on top of each other, my mouth was a mess. Now my teeth are great. I have a full mouth of teeth even if I don't have the proper amount of teeth. I am so glad my mom made the choice to have my teeth removed for braces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katnorman Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had 2 upper and 2 lower adult teeth removed for braces with no long term consequences yet. That was 15 years ago (man I'm getting old)!! I just started orthodontics on my DD and was worried she would have to get teeth pulled too, but the orthodontist (the same one I had) said now they put an expander on the top to expand her mouth to make room. He doesn't pull any permenant teeth any more. So, maybe you could ask about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had four removed 30 years ago (holy cow, that seems like so long!) to get my braces and I still get compliments on my smile. No problems at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 My older dd needed to have two teeth pulled before they put in braces. These were top adult teeth, the two immediately behind the canine teeth. She had to have the space and the braces worked extremely well. The dentist made us wait for a year before doing this so that the canines would be fully developed and descended. Since they dropped down last and came through the gums outside and above the other teeth as a non-dentist I would have thought you would remove them. The dentist explained that even though waiting for the canines to settle would make the crowding worse and be unattractive, no one should remove the canines, they are structurally crucial. The canines anchor the other teeth and have the longest/strongest roots. With the canines in place and stable, the oral surgeon removed her bicuspids immediately behind them and the orthodontist put on the braces. She has not had any difficulties since then. That was 6 or 7 years ago. I am not a tooth expert, mabye some of the others here have more information. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 My husband has huge teeth and a small mouth. He had four teeth removed when he had braces (his teeth were a mess). He hasn't had any problems with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 (edited) The orthodontist is recommending my daughter get two adult top teeth removed in order to straighten the rest. Anybody have experience with this? It seems like something that's done all the time, but there are horror stories around the web about not having enough teeth to chew with, and faces sinking in as people age. I'm mostly wondering about people who had this done a number of years ago. What are the long term consequences? I had teeth removed, as did dh. In the ensuing years, it has occurred to me that once they're gone, they're gone forever. If you have a problem with more teeth, have to have them pulled, the number keeps diminishing. It makes me sort of paranoid. When dd needed braces we went to see 3 different orthodontists. One of them said he was 99 percent sure she'd need to have teeth pulled. Another said we'd have to spend $200 for a mockup of her mouth so they could study it and decide. The third said he could practically guarantee that she wouldn't need any teeth pulled. Number 3 got our business (I figured we could always go back and pull the teeth if we decided number 1 was correct, but you can't go back and put teeth back in once they're pulled). He did a super job using computerized imaging (I'm drawing a blank on what it's called, but it speeds up the process), and she now has a total set of straight teeth. As a bonus, ortho number 3 only took 16 months, while the others predicted at least 2 years. So, no, it's not done all the time. Shop around for a second opinion. Especially if your dd is younger, her palate can expand to accommodate more teeth. ETA: When she was younger one of her adult teeth wasn't erupting because another tooth was in the way. Our regular dentist at the time spent oodles of time trying to figure out what to do. We ended up switching to a different office, the new dentist (who worked with orthodontia quite a bit) took care of the situation quickly by shaving a tooth, explaining how the whole thing would work, easy peasy. Dentists and orthos vary a lot. Edited September 9, 2011 by GailV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 My son's jaw is too small for his permanent teeth, so he had serial extraction to remove 8 baby teeth and 4 permanent teeth. He now has plenty of room in his mouth and will not end up like dh, whose teeth are lapped on top of each other (his parents figured that bottom teeth wouldn't show....grrr...they cause him pain and one of these days he'll probably end up in braces, poor man). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emubird Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 I should clarify that my daughter is 20. And she plays trumpet. She doesn't want her embouchure permanently destroyed. Thanks for the responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 We've chosen not to pull adult teeth, and not to pull baby teeth that are missing their corresponding adult tooth. Our orthodontist was very respectful of this decision, and created a treatment plan based on this constraint. He was very willing to go into the details of various options, but we had to ask - I think most people simply go with what he says without asking much. He was delighted to go into detail, once he understood we really were interested. He is so very enthusiastic about teeth, and happy to consider various approaches. We might be persuaded to pull adult teeth in certain circumstances, but thus far we've been able to accomplish appropriate goals without it, even though it was part of the initial recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Dh and I were just talking about teeth being pulled since he's about to get one pulled today.:glare: I had 4 pulled before getting braces to make room and the "holes" were completely closed by the braces. Dh had teeth pulled for braces and holes that were never fully closed. Based on our experiences, I would say that it's ok to get them pulled as long as you have a good ortho. who will make sure the holes are filled in by the time you are done with braces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I should clarify that my daughter is 20. And she plays trumpet. She doesn't want her embouchure permanently destroyed. Thanks for the responses! She needs a second opinion. Every orthodontist is different, and they all have different opinions on what should be done. She needs to feel fully confident before she does anything. I made the mistake of going with a cheaper orthodontist that I wasn't totally confident in and I still need work done. I'd have to start over and pay just as much as I did the first time. I had braces for 2 years and just got them off in 2009. Have her ask around and I would also encourage her to stay away from "corporate dentists." The kind that work for a corporation and not themselves. I found out the hard way the Corporations are more worried about their bottom line than your mouth.:glare: HTH! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I should clarify that my daughter is 20. And she plays trumpet. She doesn't want her embouchure permanently destroyed. Thanks for the responses! Ah. I could be wrong, but I remember hearing that by that age the bones won't expand enough anymore because the growth spurts are over. BTW, coffeefreak is right about getting a second opinion. And, coincidentally, the cheaper ortho was the one who said dd needed 4 teeth pulled; the expensive one did the job without pulling teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had it done 37 years ago and if I must say so I have a beautiful smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I was playing trumpet at the time my teeth were pulled and I maintained 1st chair throughout the entire ordeal. :D BUT I was half her age. I'd get a second opinion too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emubird Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Thanks for the replies -- So how many people here have had teeth straightened when they were adults? Were teeth pulled for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluezoo5 Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I had my teeth straightened as an adult (well sort of an adult - I was 19 and it was on my own dime). Yes, I had teeth extracted for it - 4 bicuspids (directly behind the eye teeth) plus all 4 impacted wisdom teeth all in one oral surgery. Other than the fact that one of my canine teeth died as a result of being moved so drastically (I had the typical "fanglike" eye teeth), I have not had any problems per say. Although I have often wondered if that would have happened if my parents had seen the need to do it at an earlier age. That being said, I hope I can find an ortho for my kids that doesn't do so many extractions. It has made me wonder how well my smile will hold up over many more years (I've heard a broader smile looks more youthful as you age). I'm 36 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingHim77 Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) I had braces as an adult-in my late 20's and early 30's. I had 4 teeth pulled and my impacted wisdom teeth had to be extracted. I had too many teeth for my small mouth. They were very crowded. I had to wear braces for 3.5 years but my teeth look great now. I've only had the braces off for 2 years though. I would definitely do it all over again. Having waited over 30 years to have a nice smile really makes me appreciate it now. My son is 16 and has had braces on for several months now. He didn't have to have any teeth pulled. They used an expander. He is going to the same orthodontist I did. If your daughter is concerned about it though, she should definitely get a 2nd opinion. Edited September 10, 2011 by Melanie32 sp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I had 4 teeth removed for braces in 1987 and have no issues. At some point after braces I had my wisdom teeth removed as well. My teeth are still straight (they were awful before) and according to the size of my behind, I eat a little too well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emubird Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 We have two consultations with different orthodontists lined up, so we'll see what kind of suggestions we get. Has anyone been through the Damon method? Their website is very cheery: "extractions may not be necessary", but I don't know if they have a lower percentage of extractions than traditional methods. ETA -- I'm more concerned about future trumpet embouchure than what she gets while the braces are on. (If anyone has advice...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 My dd11's orthodontist advises to try and keep all teeth if at all possible. He had several teeth pulled himself when he was a child and showed us how his face shape had changed which would end up making him look prematurely old. I have to say he looks about 18 now so I don't think that will hold him back too much! But he has so far managed to make room for dd's teeth, that were stuck up in her jaw, with the braces and it looks like she won't need any pulled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beauty From Ashes Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I was 10 when I got braces. I had far too many teeth for my small mouth. They pulled 5 permanent teeth (yes, I did say 5, and that's not my widsom teeth). Now I wonder where those 5 teeth would have fit. Hehehe. I have no issues chewing. I would, if she's concerned about it, get a second opinion. If there are too many teeth, there are too many teeth. But some doctors do things just because they always do it, even if it's not right for the patient's situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I had the four teeth removed and braces around 11 yo. The holes closed up with braces. But universally every dentist and surgeon that I have seen about my TMJ disorder says that it is very common in young women who had that surgery. Apparently pulling the teeth together messes up the jaw, permanently in my case. I haven't really researched it because ds won't need it, but you might ask the dentist if there are ways to prevent that now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Thanks for the replies -- So how many people here have had teeth straightened when they were adults? Were teeth pulled for that? DH had to have one front tooth pulled before he got braces when he was 18/19, and he ended up with a beautiful smile. By that age, if there is no room in the mouth for the teeth, there is no chance that the mouth will grow to accommodate them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Ah. I could be wrong, but I remember hearing that by that age the bones won't expand enough anymore because the growth spurts are over. BTW, coffeefreak is right about getting a second opinion. And, coincidentally, the cheaper ortho was the one who said dd needed 4 teeth pulled; the expensive one did the job without pulling teeth. Us too. Thanks for the replies -- So how many people here have had teeth straightened when they were adults? Were teeth pulled for that? I did which is why I'm big on 2nd opinions. I didn't get them, went with a cheaper dentist and am paying for it. I didn't need teeth pulled, but I have room in my mouth. DH's sister waited and had to have her jaw broken, teeth pulled and wired shut for 6 weeks. DD has a pallet expander which is supposed to prevent having adult teeth pulled. If we don't try this now, odds are she WILL have to have teeth pulled. Even with this she still may need teeth pulled. That's why it's so important to get several opinions. We hate the pallet expander, but we want to do everything to prevent pulling adult teeth if at all possible. HTH! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 if I remember right when I had to have braces LOL many years ago I had to have a couple removed....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I had my wisdom teeth plus 1 broken molar and 2 teeth that did not fit removed to make way for braces in May. I am living with brace face now so I am not a long term outcome person but so long as the surgeon is working with the ortho to ensure each of their plans works with the other, I think the prognosis for such a situation is good, generally. If there is not room for the teeth, there is not room. The jaw can not be made bigger. It is when gaps are left in critical spots that tooth removal trouble can result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Calvin had one adult tooth removed two years ago. He then has had braces and has nice teeth. The extraction was not too bad. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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