Dental question about milk teeth and braces?

A 15 yo has got 2 milk teeth (middle of the lower jaw, left and right side) where an xray supposedly showed that there wont be "adult" teeth replacing them.


The dentist suggests extracing the milk teeth and intends to use braces for pulling other teeth into the gap.


To me that seems a bit strange, esp. since these teeth will be used for chewing and have to take a lot of pressure for the rest of their life not being up straight after being pulled over...





Has anybody heard of a similar procedure being done already, or would anybody know where I could get more info on this?

Dental question about milk teeth and braces?
Very common orthodontic procedure. Lots of times orthodontists will have the teeth that your 15 yo is missing removed to make space in overcrowding situations.





The teeth won't "pull over". The entire tooth will move forward, crown and root. The space will close completely.





There's a slight chance, it depends on our 15 yo's bite, that the orthodontist may recommend pulling the opposing upper teeth that match the missing lower ones to maintain a perfect bite.





The orthodontist that you choose should have before and after pictures of similar cases to show you to put your mind at ease.
Reply:There are many orthodontists who I refer to who practice this way. Many people need to have the adult counterparts of those baby teeth extracted to make more room, and then braces put on after. Your child is lucky, in a way, that those particular teeth are recommended to be extracted. Even when baby teeth are retained into adulthood, they very often are lost and need to be replaced anyway. If they are removed and the space is closed with braces, this may be the best alternative. Take your child to a different orthodontist for a 2nd opinion if you'd like, but it sounds like standard practice to me. Best of luck.



C#