Is it better to pull extra teeth or use an expander?

I have been to a couple of different ortho's and some have told me they were going to use an expander and some say they want to pull my teeth. I currently have 8 teeth too many (including wisdom teeth) and am scared that if I pull the teeth it will change the shape of my face. Any suggestions? PLEASE HELP!!!

Is it better to pull extra teeth or use an expander?
Relax.. I speak from experience.. my daughter had four supernumerary teeth (extra) that were surgically removed, the extra teeth were screwing up the way her teeth were growing in,and now, 2 years later, she is still as beautiful, but without crooked teeth..... I would say have them pulled, good luck with it!!
Reply:Glad to be of help! Hope everything works out for you.. Report It

Reply:I had teeth pulled and only had to wear my braces a year and a half it would have taken much longer with an expander plus it is very hard to keep everything clean with braces and even harder with an expander. Having the teeth pulled was no big deal, although it is harder the older you are. However, an oral surgeon could do all of them under anesthesia and end your misery in 1 swipe. Besides the added priced of the expander will add up just as much and if you have medical insurance it would cover some of the anesthesia at the oral surgeon.
Reply:Here is why the orthodontic field has many solutions to the same problem when it comes to crowding.


Traditional orthodontics done in the 60's and 70's usually involved extractions of 4 permanent premolars. This treatment was rendered nearly 80% of the time, however, when orthodontists evaluated the treatment results, they found that the teeth were straight but many faces had the so-called dished-in look. This was because the front teeth were often retracted in order to close the space left by the extracted teeth. Orthodontists were not happy with these results and that led to the current expansion therapy of treatment. By expanding the arches orthodontist hope to maintain or improve facial fullness. It should be noted that not all extraction cases change facial profiles but generally speaking, most orthodontists try to fit all the permanent teeth into the arch by using expanders.



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