Do DC really need teeth removed for braces?

My DD is meant to be having 2 teeth removed to allow her to have braces fitted.

She's under a specialist NHS cleft dentist so assumed.she would be getting the very treatment.

I now think I will get a second private opinion.

My daughter had her braces on at 16, off at 19. Her teeth are absolutely perfect.

I had 4 teeth pulled out as a teen before having braces on the nhs, my teeth were very overcrowded and I have no gaps at all. I recently did Invisalign as an adult due to my teeth regressing over the last 20 years and had IPR, so, definitely no gaps from teeth being removed earlier.

DD had invisalign at 18. No teeth removed. Also an overbite (worse than your DD's - champion thumb sucker), small jaw and a really high palatte. It's like she has a different mouth and face shape now. It's honestly amazing. She has a film star smile. It's some kind of magical magic as far as I can see. 4k well spent in her case. (She does have to wear a night time retainer now though. Is that the case with train tracks?)

Just going by my own experience when I was a kid. I had quite a few teeth removed and then a brace fitted and my teeth turned out brilliantly . And I have no problems with them as an adult

Research this thoroughly as I can remember reading an article where a set of twin boys had two different orthodontic treatments, one with teeth removal and one without, and the one who didn’t have their teeth removed had a much more aesthetically pleasing result. I’ll see if I can find the article.

One of my DCs had a palate expander aged 11 along with twin block braces. These were followed by fixed braces and have resulted in lovely straight teeth. I had a palate expander and bionator device as a teen. Neither of us had teeth removed and both were treated by NHS orthodontists albeit 30 years apart.

No - we had two quotes for DDs Invisalign. One was more expensive and wanted to take teeth out. The other was more reputable, less expensive, and couldn’t understand why anyone wanted to take her teeth out.
she went to the second one and has amazing teeth now

My DD had her referral to the orthodontist quite young about 11/ 12 and we were told we could crack on with the train tracks or we could wait a year or two but she would need teeth out. I have no idea why anyone would wait under those circumstances. Anyway she’s now 14 and has had her braces off quite a while now. She does need to wear a retainer. All of it was NHS funded ( although it was a private clinic )

just scrolled to the end with this quote - you definitely need a second opinion. My DD then aged 15 was referred for painful dental surgery with braces and a very respected orthodontist said just wait and see; took 2 years but teeth righted themselves. Now my DD's problem was different to your DD but honestly you need to get this right for her - get another opinion, even a referral to a dental hospital if necessary, but surgery/removal is a last resort.

I did clarify in my second post - 14 isn’t too old for braces but may be for a palate expander.

I was then just musing that, where we live in Aus, most 14 year old girls are well through orthodontic work. There is more of an American culture regarding children’s teeth though - much more of a cosmetic focus. My kids had their first orthodontic consult as soon as their dentist thought they were within a year of needing braces. 2/3 were told it was cosmetic and given a choice

My retainer broke and the orthodontics department said they would only replace it if my mum paid a £40 fee. This was 35 years ago and £40 was just beyond her budget so it was left. My teeth drifted and are now all out of alignment and with gaps due to the extractions that were done. Completely ruined the ship for a hap'orth of tar as they say.

Mine have had palate expanders from preteens, the dentist said that it’s lazy to remove teeth and better to make the jaw bigger so that the new teeth have space to come down into then you use a fixed brace to straighten the teeth but it’s often not needed for so long because there’s less overcrowding. He won’t use Invisalign as he says kids just can’t be trusted to leave it in and it means the treatment takes longer and is therefore not cost effective.

I didn't think it was a default thing any more. DD and DS have both just had braces. DD needed no extractions but DS did need one removing, but that seemed to be the exception.

NHS waiting lists - what are you going to do. The wait was 48 months and in the middle there was a pandemic. They wouldn't put her on the list until she was 11/12.

My son had 4 teeth out for braces. My daughter had none removed so I think it's case by case

I had adult braces which made my palate wider for a large over jet
I had one adult tooth crowned but it was on its way out so the orthodontist removed it and used the space to move my teeth back. She then removed another tooth but only did so a few months into treatment as she would have liked to avoid it. I needed it to create space.
ive had no issues.
If you go with Invisalign make sure you find an orthodontist and not a dentist who’s done the training. Invisalign is rarely suitable for teens due to lack of compliance

Also dd had the same issue as me and had 2 teeth removed after bite blocked failed
(she was crap at wearing it)
Anyway this was 10 years ago and her teeth are still perfect

My son had NINE removed for braces.
like me and his brothers there were no adult teeth for some of them.
His case involved a narrow bite and we were offered jaw breaking as an alternative.
3 years of top and bottom braces, pulleys, bands, the lot and his teeth are absolutely perfect. Straight, no gaps, worth every bit of pain and patience, I am so grateful for what the NHS has gifted him. He does wear his retainer every night.

And he had the teeth removed at 14 as they had to wait (can’t remember why) then Covid hit.
he had the braces taken off this year when he was 21

Oh and his were done by a hospital consultant led team because he was a complex case, they were absolutely brilliant

They are often removed as they don’t actually fit into the jaw bone if they are lined up. that’s why so many grow in sideways or behind

Having asked DS2 to remind my old menopausal brain…. All his extractions were baby teeth, they waited because it was hoped they would fall out naturally.
it’s hereditary, I still have 3 baby teeth with no adult one in my gum, I am 55
all my children didn’t get their first teeth until over 18 months old