Braces! And tooth extractions

[duchuynh9]

Hi, I am about to receive braces and my othodontist orders the extraction of two of my top premolars.
Does anyone know if this is the right approach to straight teeth and has anyone gotten two of their premolars extracted to have space for orthodontal work?

[ImCoolBeans]

I personally did not have to have any of my teeth taken out in order to get braces, but I have friends and have heard of others who have. I'm sure it's not an uncommon practice, and if he is doing that he must have a legitimate reason for it. You should ask him/her any questions you may have about why he's taking that approach, I'm sure he/she would be happy to explain it to you, it is your mouth after all.

[duchuynh9]

Thanks for the reply, I would like opinions from different people though.
I will ask my orthodontist for risk factors in the future if I receive an extraction :)

[Second Chance]

Hi, I am about to receive braces and my othodontist orders the extraction of two of my top premolars.
Does anyone know if this is the right approach to straight teeth and has anyone gotten two of their premolars extracted to have space for orthodontal work?

I had to have some teeth removed for braces which I think were the two top premolars like you. The whole point of removing the teeth was for the rest of the teeth to take the right position upon the completion of the treatment. Trust me, orthodontists do not want to remove anymore teeth than they have to, and you are lucky you are only having two teeth removed. In a lot of cases I have seen folks had to have four teeth removed as part of their treatment.

Extracting teeth is not a big deal assuming your roots are straight and that there is not another tooth growing in an odd position around the tooth that needs to be removed. If your extraction is complicated, then your orthodontist would have let you known upfront. In most cases if the tooth's root is straight, then the tooth will come right out without too much problem. I am guessing you will be sent to an oral surgeon, and oral surgeons don't have issues pulling out even the most complicated tooth. You'll be fine even if your case is complicated.

I agree with the person above that your best bet is to talk to your orthodontist because talking to a bunch of us who aren't dentists is probably not your best option. If you have that much doubts about your treatment, then I would get a second opinion from another orthodontist. If you find the treatment plan totally objectionable, then your final option is to not to do anything and leave your teeth as is.