Are Braces Necessary? (photo)

I have a set of crooked lower teeth (the two central, the laterals a little behind them, the cuspids tilted and covers the laterals slightly) and protruding upper front teeth (left and right central incisors). When I bite down, I can feel that my molars are not aligned (cross bite?). They make me extremely self concious about showing my teeth and I avoid smiling. Will teeth extractions be necessary if braces are required? I'm 18 years old.

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by YuuLim

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No extractions needed with Functional Facial Orthopedics

By observing your photo, I can reasonably access that your upper jaw is narrow. This is the major reason people seek help with orthodontics. Solutions are outlined in my book "Straight Talk about Crooked Teeth". With the use of Functional Facial Orthopedics and slow palatal expansion your upper jaw can be widened along with your lower teeth uprighted prior to braces or Invisalign. This will give you a full movie star like smile without the removal of any teeth.... more

Extractions for braces are less common

In years past it was routine to extract teeth for orthodontic purposes, but is less common today. From what I can tell, you may be able to avoid extractions. However, there is no substitute for an exam, so I suggest seeing an orthodontist or experienced dentist to know for sure.