Straightening front teeth???

**mellow** · 31-05-2010, 08:27 PM

Hi,

My 2 front teeth protrude by about 3-5 mm...I want it straightened completely but my dentist want to remove my 2 canines and then put braces on my teeth to straighten them...

He said since my teeth are perfectly aligned, there's no space to push my teeth back by only braces...

Is there any other way to straighten my 2 front teeth without having to remove my perfectly good canines and having 2 gaps while waiting for the braces to correct my teeth??

**Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani** · 01-06-2010, 01:04 PM

For crowding, we can use IPR (enamel shaving between teeth) or tooth extractions or arch expansion. Your dentist has opted for tooth extractions, you might also have the option of IPR and arch expansion. Not having seen your teeth, I cant say for sure if IPR and arch expansion is possible in your case or not. Invisalign usually works by using IPR.

From a cosmetic and functional point of view, the upper canines are usually kept but if space is required for crowding, one of the premolars are usually removed. You may wish to see an orthodontist for a second opinion.

**mellow** · 05-06-2010, 10:03 PM

Thanks for the reply...I really want to fix this but most importantly, I don't want to wear metal braces and if possible, no visible gaps in my teeth ...

I've just taken a couple of pics to how my teeth looks like(see below)...Can you pls tell me if the IPR method you mentioned can help together with the Invisalign? And also how long do you think this method will take to straighten my teeth completely?

Thanks...

**Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani** · 08-06-2010, 01:37 AM

Thank you for sending your photos. We really need to see your teeth clinically as we also need to see the top surface of your teeth as well. Provisionally I would say that Invisalign is possible in your case.

To determine the length of treatment time, we have to take photos, impressions and xrays of your teeth and send them to Invisalign. They will then computerize all the models and provide us with a treatment plan called clincheck. From that plan we can tell you more accurately how long your Invisalign treatment will take. However on average treatment time with Invisalign is around 9-12 months.