Will Lips Change After Braces And Extraction Of Protruding Teeth?

In general the upper lip is supported partially by the upper front teeth.  So anything that moves the front teeth back can move the upper lip back.  However, each case is unique.  Sometimes extracting teeth might not have much affect on the upper lip, depending on factors like how much dental crowding there is, how protrusive the front teeth are, or exactly which teeth (first vs. second bicuspids) are extracted.  I would suggest discussing these issues with an experienced orthodontist to get answers about your case.

The contour of the face and lips rely on two things:


bone structure (the maxillary and mandibular bones, aka cheek bones and jaw, and teeth)

facial tissue (the muscles and fat)


Just like people who have taken out the full dentures have their face shortened and lips caved in, protruding and misaligned teeth gives the face an uneven and unbalanced profile. 

Braces (orthodontic treatment) not only aligns the teeth for functional purposes but also cosmetically enhances the facial features to give a balanced and even look.  Under different circumstances and goals, a dentist would extract protruding teeth followed by braces to fill in the gaps or realign them with the rest of the teeth.

The amount of change in you lip position after orthodontic treatment, especially after the removal of teeth, is dependent upon many factors. If you have crowding in the arches, you many not notice any lip change at all. If you have big, full lips you may not notice any difference at all. The real changes take place if your teeth are protruding and not crowding. Moving them back will give you some improvement. At minimum you won't see the lips move further forward and look more protrusive as sometimes happens if you do not remove teeth. The key to a successful outcome is a thororugh diagnosis by an experienced orthodontist. Not removing teeth when necessary can be just as bad as removing teeth when is it not appropriate. Good luck!