One objection some patients have with orthodontic treatment is that they just don’t want to have “healthy teeth” removed. Are there alternatives to removing healthy teeth?
There are several reasons why an orthodontists would prescribe the removal of permanent teeth in a treatment plan. The most common are crowding, overbite, protrusive teeth, and asymmetries. In theory it may be possible to treat all orthodontic problems without removing teeth; however orthodontists must consider the overall picture when making that determination.
Some variables might be:
- The length of treatment.
- Treatment efficiency.
- Condition of the teeth.
- Patient compliance.
- Cost (keeping the teeth may increase treatment time).
There are situations where the best outcome cannot be achieved with a full set of teeth and extractions are unavoidable. Eliminating severe crowding or dental protrusion in both arches for example, usually require the removal of teeth. When it is unavoidable, healthy teeth that are removed are ‘sacrificed’ (giving up something good to get something better) so that bigger problems can be corrected.
Three examples of giving up healthy teeth to achieve better results include:
Yes, a healthy tooth may have to be removed, but the results are usually more desirable overall. As an orthodontists, I truly care about preserving healthy teeth. It is important to identify ALL of the problems that exist, evaluate every available option, and then formulate a plan providing the maximum benefit. Typically, I can provide treatment without removing teeth, which is my personal preference and if I can remove unhealthy teeth instead of healthy ones, I’ll do that for sure. In the end your customized treatment plan based on my years of training and expertise will give you a result that is much healthier than before your treatment began.
Call my office and Ashley or Mollie will schedule your free evaluation which will solidify your decision to have treatment at Jupiter Orthodontics in which you will have complete confidence.