It has long been proven that bite defects can significantly affect the health of teeth and the body as a whole. Incorrectly positioned teeth are much more quickly erased and damaged, and also do not provide a full chewing of food, which adversely affects the digestive system. But, as practice shows, the majority of patients decide to correct the bite only because they consider it to be a cosmetic defect that spoils their smile. At the same time, many are frightened that it is necessary to remove teeth to correct the bite. Is it still possible to fix the bite without removing the teeth?

There is no unequivocal answer to this question, unfortunately. It all depends on the complexity of each specific case and the cause that caused the curvature of the teeth: trauma, congenital defect, mismatch between teeth and jaw size, etc.

When can the bite be fixed without removing the teeth?

Very often the cause of curvature of the occlusion is the crowding of the teeth (in other words, when the teeth simply do not fit in the mouth and start to "get out" one on the other). This is perhaps the only time when it is impossible to fix a bite without removing the teeth. In other cases, the decision to remove or not to remove the tooth depends on the doctor.

The orthodontist can offer the patient to remove one or more teeth, arguing that it is much easier to fix the bite so. But it is important to understand that in this case "simpler" does not mean "right". It is impossible to remove a completely healthy tooth just to make it easier to fix the bite.

As a rule, tooth extraction is not required in such cases:

  • when the crowding of the teeth is not pronounced, and align them with the help of a bracket system;
  • The degree of inclination of the teeth is small and does not interfere with the closing of the lips;
  • Insignificant asymmetry of the dentition rows (the upper one is not strongly forward, and the lower one - back).

If your dentist insists on removing one or more teeth to correct the bite, but you are not sure of the correctness of this option - consult a specialist. When you really can not fix the bite without removing the teeth, the opinions of the experts will converge. However, do not forget that the final decision to remove or not to remove the teeth is always yours.