Interproximal Reduction During Orthodontic Treatment: Are You Saying You File Down the Teeth???

Hello~

I’m Lee Juri, the CEO doctor of Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic!​

When you start orthodontic treatment, you may often hear that it may be necessary to slightly reduce the space between teeth.

Interproximal reduction during orthodontic treatment: Are you saying you file down the teeth???

Can’t it be done without filing them down??

Many people are curious about this~~

The idea of filing down teeth can be surprising, and you may wonder, won’t it make them sensitive?

Interproximal reduction plays a very important role in orthodontic treatment!!

Today, I’ll explain in detail why reducing the space between teeth is necessary and what effects it has~~!

What is interproximal reduction?

Interproximal refers to the space between teeth.

2411118

Interproximal reduction is a method of creating space by minutely removing part of the enamel, the outermost layer of the tooth.

Because it involves removing tooth structure, many people worry about it.

It is done very minimally,

removing only about 0.2mm to 0.5mm

to secure the necessary space!!

Since it allows the teeth to be aligned more smoothly, interproximal reduction is performed during orthodontic treatment.

It is not done all at once,

but little by little in stages.

(To prevent excessive reshaping~!)

Enamel is the hardest part and makes up the largest portion of the tooth structure!!

Why interproximal reduction is needed

Not every patient undergoing orthodontic treatment needs interproximal reduction.

Among the cases I’ll explain below,

some patients may need it!

1. Resolving crowded teeth (misaligned teeth)

When teeth overlap, space is needed to align them evenly, right??

Even without extraction (important!)

interproximal reduction can

create the necessary space and help form a straight dental arch!!

241118 I had crowded teeth because there wasn’t enough spaceㅠㅠ

2. Improving protruding mouth

This is often called a protruding mouth~

In the case of protruding front teeth, interproximal reduction reduces the width of the teeth and creates space for them to move backward.

This can improve a protruding mouth without extraction.

230725 Protruding mouth with upper teeth protruding!!

3. Non-extraction orthodontic treatment is possible

Extraction orthodontic treatment is a method of creating space by removing teeth,

(which definitely creates space~?)

but interproximal reduction is a way to achieve a similar effect

while preserving natural teeth.

It is especially useful when addressing mild crowding or protrusion.

5. Improving tooth shape

When tooth sizes are irregular, or when the harmony with adjacent teeth feels awkward, interproximal reduction can create a more balanced tooth shape.

Could interproximal reduction be harmful to teeth?

Many people worry that filing down teeth will weaken them.

However, interproximal reduction removes only part of the outermost enamel layer,

and is performed so that only minimal damage is caused.

Using a separate material,

you can check how much was removed~

This is the instrument used for interproximal reduction~! It is divided into stages!!

Also, fluoride is applied after the teeth are reduced~

After tooth reduction, you may feel sensitivity, but fluoride penetrates into the tooth interior and helps relieve that sensitivity.

So for patients who need interproximal reduction during orthodontic treatment, we apply fluoride.

This is how interproximal reduction is performed during orthodontic treatment!!

Conclusion

Interproximal reduction is an important step with several advantages for creating space during orthodontic treatment, improving protruding mouths, and supporting non-extraction orthodontics.

You can think of it as gently refining the teeth to a very slight extent!

(So they won’t become sensitive...!)

If you have any questions, please leave a "comment"!!!

| This post was written directly by Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information, in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The information provided is for reference only, and we recommend that you visit a medical institution and receive guidance from medical professionals for symptom assessment and accurate management methods. All procedures/surgeries performed at the dental clinic may vary by individual (possibilities include inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make your decision after sufficient consultation with the medical staff in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |

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