Mount Elizabeth Orthodontic Clinic

 

Specialist Dental Clinic in Orthodontics

meoc@braces.com.sg | +65 6327 2237 (ME-BRACES)

“Dished-In” Profile and Dark Buccal Corridors

Extraction of teeth is not always necessary for orthodontic treatment, especially in children.

Yet, teeth are commonly extracted because of the apparent severity in the crowding or protrusion of teeth. There are many equally important factors to consider, amongst which include age and hence growth potential of patients, jaw relationship and facial patterns, lips (profile, thickness, tone), racial and ethnic characteristics, dental arches (width and shape), teeth (shape, size, angulation), bite…

Only a detailed assessment by our orthodontists will reveal if extraction of teeth is really necessary.

Common Effects of Unnecessary or Poor Management of extractions in orthodontics

  • ‘Dished-in’ profile is due to the over-retraction of front teeth causing reduced lip/ facial support.
  • Dark buccal corridors are located between the back teeth and the inner cheek or the corner of the lips. It becomes visible when the patient smiles widely. This may be a result of a narrow dental arch form, shortened arch length or excessively inward tilted teeth.
  • Reopening of extraction sites resulting in unsightly spaces and food impaction:
  • Poor Stability resulting in deepening of the overbite and relapse of crowding

The good news is that the vast majority of orthodontic patients today can be treated to a stable final result, without the extraction of permanent teeth.

For children, the key to reduce the likelihood of extraction is having an early orthodontic examination and, if necessary, interceptive treatment.

Some crowding of teeth is normal at certain early stages of dental development, but if there is a significant bite or jaw growth problem, earlier intervention with jaw growth modification can help in preventing serious discrepancies in jaw development. Jaw expansion, crossbite correction, guidance of eruption, space maintenance or regaining and habit correction are some of the methods used during the mixed dentition stage (age 6 to 12) to reduce the need for extraction of permanent teeth in later treatment.