How will the extraction of 4 premolars for braces affect my facial profile?

Doctor's Answer

Extraction of premolars is often needed during braces treatment to create space to either :

1. relief crowding

2. correct protrusion (teeth look like they slant forwards), lips are hard to close as a result of the protrusion

3. a combination of 1 and 2

If there is severe crowding and a lot of space is needed to correct the crowding, there will be little space remaining to push the teeth inwards and hence your facial profile may not change much after treatment.

If the extraction is to correct teeth protrusion, the extraction spaces will be used to draw both the upper and lower teeth inwards and backwards. This will also allow the lips to close better around the teeth, thus improving the facial profile of the lips.The amount of soft tissue response is variable, for some individuals with thin lips the effect of correcting the teeth protrusion and lips falling backwards is quite obvious. While for others where their lips may be thicker, the change in the lips may not be quite as obvious as it is masked by the overlying thickness of the soft tissue.

It is best to consult your doctor on what you hope to achieve with braces treatment and discuss the effects that he/she may anticipate to your facial profile based on your current teeth position.

Hope this helps and all the very best,

Dr Priscilla Lu

Orthodontist

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