Is it possible to shave the sides of the nose bridge instead of breaking it to get a slimmer bridge?

The standard technique to narrow the bones of the nasal bridge is an osteotomy. Only in very rare cases can this be avoided. I use a technique called ultrasonic rhinoplasty to perform the bony reshaping which uses a piezotome to very precisely incise the bone and reshape it. This technique avoids any soft tissue trauma and there is far less swelling and bruising. This technique can also avoid an osteotomy in a some situations. It is best to get a Consultation from an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon to discuss exactly what your expectations are.

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  It would be helpful if you could include pictures of your nose.  To narrow the mid nasal vault, usually a combination of rasping lateral side wall and osteotomies is performed.   Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most
important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend
that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who
can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

The short answer is yes, in some instances.  It is highly dependent on an individual's anatomy and impossible to say if you would be a good candidate or not without photos and, preferably, a physical examination.  I would consult with an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon that is aBoard Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon or Plastic Surgeon.  Good luck!

Some shaving on the dorsal sides is performed commonly to avoid protrusions, but usually to narrow the nose and avoid an open roof, osteotomies or precise cutting of the bone on the side of the face is performed to slide them in and close the open roof.

 The nasal bones are very thin, and is not a good idea to try to make them any thinner by shaving them down on the sidewalls. Osteotomies placed in the nasal bones are performed to narrow the bridge line  and close the open roof created from the hump removal. For more information about osteotomies and many before-and-after  rhinoplasty examples with osteotomies, please see the link and the video below