orthdontal treatment - overcrowding

[robinw]

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ds2 has had his arch stretched, mostly during Y5 IIRC, but has had 4 extractions of baby top teeth as well (temporary extra space) and will need 2 more.

Why do you want to avoid extractions?

I had 2 top teeth taken out and then a brace to straighten them up nicely, well worth it. I think I was 12 and had it for about 3 years

Orthodontic treatment can be carried out without extractions, but this depends on each individual case. Arch expansion is usually carried out when the arch is too narrow, however this may not be the case with your DD.
Your orthodontist proberbly gave you advice, which would create the best asthetic outcome, however, if you are happy to accept a slightly less asthetically pleasing result and have no extractions, then you should discuss the treatment fully with your orthodontist.
Sorry, can't really comment more, as each case is very different.

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Yes, but if you keep all her healthy teeth, to the extent that they are overcrowded, they will be harder to keep clean and may become unhealthy teeth in the future.

Robinw, we too are unsure what to do for our 13-year-old ds. He has overcrowding and I hate the idea of extracting healthy teeth. So we made a private appointment with another orthodontist (cost £35)in order to get a second opinion. It was well worth it as, this time, we were given a lot more info and not at all rushed as we had been with the first orthodontist. She told our ds that he was at no more risk of unhealthy teeth in the future than anyone else. His treatment would be purely cosmetic and not medical in any way. Hope this helps.

I had 8 teeth taken out when i was younger due to overcrowding. I then had a fixed brace for 2 years when i was 14.
I am now 25 and have never had a filling or any other treatment.

No help at all i know, but i thought it may be of interest

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