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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel a little unsure about teeth out for braces?

77 replies

KyieveMii · 20/04/2022 08:13

Firstly, I’m no expert so open to correction- it’s just a concern I have.

DS, 11, has my narrow jaw and palette. His teeth are crooked and his front two protrude. Orthodontics are needed to enable him to close his mouth easily/ keep teeth clean.

However the NHS orthodontist suggested removing 4 teeth. He already has a noticeabley small jaw. I worry than removing teeth and retracting the remaining ones will make it even worse cosmetically and possibly on a practical level. I see lovely wide American smiles, whereas his will curve in from his canines into a very narrow smile. Also his tongue space will be tiny.

I also worry about doing this now, at 11, when he’s late to puberty. His older brother and father developed much wider jaws at around age 15. Will teeth be gappy? Not match the jaw line? I’m missing lateral incisors so although we have the same jaw shape I can’t really compare how it looks.

my last worry is I lost two teeth, it doesn’t really matter because other teeth have almost filled the gap. If he loses teeth now then loses adult teeth will this be a disadvantage?

has anyone been through similar and can you tell me how it worked out? The orthodontist and her manner didn’t fill me with good faith, hence asking.

OP posts:

Laquila · 20/04/2022 08:16

All I can tell you is that I had 7 teeth out as an early teen, as a precursor to a removable brace, and it doesn't look odd at all now. In retrospect I wish I'd had a fixed brace to straighten them out a bit more but hey ho! My jaw is fairly narrow but it all looks in proportion. I'd get a second opinion if you're worried/unsure.

RampantIvy · 20/04/2022 08:16

Please don't worry. I have a small jaw and only have 24 teeth. Most adults have 32. I had teeth out to wear a brace when I was 13. I then had my wisdom teeth out at 21 because my jaw was overcrowded.

When I first met my DH he said the first thing he noticed was how nice my teeth were.

Please listn to the dentist they know what they are doing.

Mumdiva99 · 20/04/2022 08:20

I had 4 out due to overcrowding followed by braces. Teeth are lovely now. (I also had wisdom teeth out later on). I don't have a small mouth particularly....I could hold my own I'm the US!

PomPomChatton · 20/04/2022 08:25

Is a second opinion possible? My daughter is having treatment to grow her jaw before we resort to removing teeth (night time removable brace and daily exercises). But maybe 11 is too late for that? I don’t know.

I had teeth removed for a brace many years ago and I'm not sure it was the best move, but there were no other options 30 years ago.

Aprilx · 20/04/2022 08:26

i am going back a while now but I thought it was normal to have teeth removed at the start of orthodontic treatment. I had four out, my sister had four out, I think friends that had braces all had teeth out too. I don’t have any gaps, I have a normal mouth that looks full of straight teeth.

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 20/04/2022 08:33

I only have 24 adult teeth as the rest were taken out for orthodontic reasons. My teeth don't fit together as they aren't the right shape to be next to each other, every dentist comments on it. Lots of flossing is required. And they aren't straight anyway!

My kids though have had expanders to make their palette wider, have had no teeth out and after braces have perfect teeth. Things have moved on.

Mizydoscape · 20/04/2022 08:33

I had a narrow palate and 2 pre molars extracted as a young teenager for fixed braces. My two front teeth made a V, my lateral incisors were wonky and my canines were right up high. I also had a palate expander. I don't have any wisdom teeth. My lower jaw is smaller and i had a large overbite and overjet.

As an adult my front 6 teeth regressed (not to the same level) and the gaps from my extractions reopened. My overbite worsened and the overjet reappeared.

I am now 18 months into fixed braces again and am intending to wear my retainer for life once these come off in June. Without jaw surgery my ortho is not able to fully fix my overbite and the extraction gaps will not fully close (although they look a hell of a lot better). She said palate expansion has a high rate of relapse.

FloraPostePosts · 20/04/2022 08:43

RampantIvy · 20/04/2022 08:16

Please don't worry. I have a small jaw and only have 24 teeth. Most adults have 32. I had teeth out to wear a brace when I was 13. I then had my wisdom teeth out at 21 because my jaw was overcrowded.

When I first met my DH he said the first thing he noticed was how nice my teeth were.

Please listn to the dentist they know what they are doing.

This was exactly my experience, too, and now at 50 my teeth are all still well aligned in my small jaw. Please take the orthodontist’s advice. You could get a second opinion if you’re really concerned, though.

SquirrelG · 20/04/2022 08:52

I had teeth out when I was young, due to overcrowding - I have large teeth and a small mouth. There are no gaps whatsoever, and people often say I have good teeth. I would trust the advice given.

holidayplanner2020 · 20/04/2022 08:56

I had my two canines out for a fixed brace and have always vaguely wished that I still have them because I think they add character to a smile. (see Kate Moss). I also never understood why they did it because I had a gap between my front teeth and the brace didn't totally solve that problem, although I don't really mind it.

That said, my teeth are quite overcrowded at the bottom so perhaps I should have had something done there...who knows. 😬

notanothertakeaway · 20/04/2022 09:00

If your budget allows, you could ask about invisalign braces. My DSis chose them for my nephew, partly because it didn't require teeth to be removed. And faster than NHS braces. But not a cheap option. Around £4,500

TheKeatingFive · 20/04/2022 09:10

I'd trust the advice. When I was a child the orthodontist tried to straighten my teeth without removing any and it didn't work, so more than a year of brace wearing was wasted and I had to start again from scratch.

WhackingPhoenix · 20/04/2022 09:11

I imagine the dentist knows what they’re doing.

withacherryonthetop · 20/04/2022 09:16

I would also trust the advice. I have a small jaw. I had 4 teeth out for my brace. My wisdom never came in (I’m 36) so I only have 24 teeth instead of the usual 32. Any more and my mouth would be too crowded! My ds is 9 and already there isn’t enough space for his adult teeth that are coming in. He will definitely need a brace and teeth out too.

Usernameinsponeeded · 20/04/2022 09:24

I had 4 teeth out at 15 for cosmetic braces. I didn’t need nor want them but my mother was insistent on me having perfect teeth. My teeth, ironically, are more wonky now as an adult after the braces than they were as a child/teen. Every single dentist I’ve seen as an adult cannot believe this was allowed to happen to me. It’s made my teeth not fit together properly and the irregular shape between the teeth allows for a LOT of flossing. Now I’m pushing 40, I’ve got one tooth which is post root canal which ideally should go due to the multiple failed root canals, however it really has to be a last resort to remove due to the molar that should be there was extracted for the braces. My dentist is so reluctant to remove it because of how the bone underneath which should have held the removed molar has degraded due to two decades of no chewing action on it, so he’s certain an implant won’t work.

I know so many people who had braces in the 90’s and 2000’s who didn’t need them and their oral health now is compromised. Did dentists get commission back in those days for recommending braces? Though I guess for each of us who has suffered, there’s likely someone else with a positive experience.

I would definitely ask for a second opinion, trust your gut and do your own research.

argh I remember the pain like yesterday

Original poster

KyieveMii · 20/04/2022 09:44

A mixed bag of comments!

I had overlapping bottom teeth as a child, then as a teen told my wisdom teeth would be impacts- actually my bottom teeth are straight and in line as an adult.

My Top teeth are grim though

OP posts:

Duchess379 · 20/04/2022 13:10

I had a brace at a similar age - dreadful over crowding & wonky teeth all over the place. I had 4 teeth removed & fitted brace for 4 years. My teeth are now amazing! No issues with the teeth removed. In fact, I wish they had taken the back ones out to make way for my wisdom teeth.. 💕

JazzHandsYeah · 20/04/2022 13:25

Yes I had 6 adult teeth removed (age 13/14) before my fixed brace. Was done two at a time over a 9 month period. Was completely worth it.
But, if you’re concerned at all with the orthodontist your DS has seen, get a second opinion.

SockFluffInTheBath · 20/04/2022 13:30

none of this will be fixed by removing or not removing teeth. You’d need to break and reset the jaw to get a big American smile or more tongue space. Leaving too many teeth in will just prevent a decent end result, the braces won’t magic up extra jaw space.

I had 8 teeth out for braces (had 4 extra teeth and a small jaw), DD had 2 out.

User2538309 · 20/04/2022 13:31

Sounds like very standard advice and certainly not too late.

oioimatey · 20/04/2022 13:34

I had two teeth on each row (four total) removed for braces. I had teeth like your DS's. But 12 years on from having them removed they're still fine!

GaraMedouar · 20/04/2022 13:39

Maybe get a second opinion to reassure yourself.

My DS had an overbite, and a small jaw .

The orthodontist actually gave us two options - a) have teeth out and braces to straighten but the jaw would still be small
b) longer method - firstly have a retainer thing to pull my DS lower jaw forward somehow, and then after that a brace to straighten the teeth- with no teeth needing to be removed.

The orthodontist recommended the second option, even though it made it much longer - three years I think in total for the treatment.
But now my DS has a more balanced jaw line and his teeth are straight and perfect - they look smashing. He still wears a retainer every other night at age 19 and will probably carry on wearing it for ever just overnight to keep it all in place.

ScatteredMama82 · 20/04/2022 13:41

I only have 28 teeth (inlcuding wisdom teeth). I had 4 removed then braces when I was a teen, due to overcrowding. I now have lovely straight teeth, I'm so pleased they did it.

Ozgirl75 · 20/04/2022 14:23

This is really interesting. I’m in Australia and here the orthodontists don’t remove teeth, they expand the jaw instead and do things a bit later. My son is 11 and also has an overbite and his ortho is about to start treatment on him, which involves widening the jaw but none of them seem to take teeth out over here. He’ll be early, only one or two of his classmates have braces.

Ozgirl75 · 20/04/2022 14:24

An expander! That’s what it’s called. It’s like a metal thing that they put on the inside of the teeth (I think) which basically widens the jaw.

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