Should I Get Interproximal Reduction to Reduce my 10mm Overjet or Will It Make my Smile Look More Narrow? (photo)

Question

I'm a 25 year old female and I have an overjet of around 10mm. I have had lingual braces for 9 months and my orthodontist told me the only way he could reduce my over jet is by doing ipr however I don't know if that will make enough of an improvement to be worth doing. Also I think my smile is fairly narrow and I'm worried that ipr may cause it to look more narrow than it already does. Is it possible that this could happen? I would like to know if it's worth risking having ipr done?

Michael O'Toole, DDS, MSC Ortho · Answer

Interproximal reduction is used to help alleviate crowding by reducing the overall width of the teeth.  It is also used if there is a "tooth size discrepancy" between the top and bottom teeth... for example... if the upper lateral incisors are small (which is common), the lower incisors often have interproximal reduction done to them, so that the lower teeth fit properly behind the upper teeth.  It does not cause narrowness to your smile.  In fact, if your teeth on top are slightly retracted, it may actually give the appearance of a broader smile.  You should always talk to your orthodontist about your concerns, especially before you get to the very end of treatment. That can be frustrating for both you and the orthodontist.  I suspect you will be quite happy with the final result, but it takes time.  Good luck!

Should I Get Interproximal Reduction to Reduce my 10mm Overjet or Will It Make my Smile Look More Narrow? (photo)

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