Are There Any Side Effects of Interproximal Reduction During Orthodontic Treatment? Click Here If You’re Concerned

Hello,

I’m Lee Ju-ri, the head director of Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic.

One of the treatments that can create space for teeth without extraction

is interproximal reduction.

However, patients often worry because this involves

slightly filing down part of the teeth.

Won’t the teeth become weaker?

Can’t orthodontic treatment be done without reduction?...

I completely understand those feelings of anxiety and concern.

I’ll help ease those worries through today’s post.

<Contents>

What is interproximal reduction?
2. Frequently Asked Questions

What is interproximal reduction?

The area between teeth is called the interproximal area.

Normally, this area is in contact,

but interproximal reduction is an orthodontic method that creates space by very gently filing down the area between teeth.

It is a process of thinning the enamel on the contact surface to about the thickness of a sheet of paper.

If there is not enough space during orthodontic treatment,

there is insufficient room to align the teeth.

At this time, instead of extracting teeth, a small amount is removed between the teeth to secure space.

250217

Usually, only about 0.2 to 0.5 mm is removed per tooth.

If interproximal reduction is performed on the six front teeth, about 2–3 mm of space can be secured.

The space created by extraction is 7–8 mm.

Although it is less space than what is created by extraction,

it has the advantage of securing space while avoiding extraction.

Many people worry that this slight reshaping will leave visible gaps.

(I have often seen this being the main reason people want to avoid it as much as possible.)

The key point here is that it is not filed down to create open spaces.

Even immediately after slight reshaping,

no large gaps are usually visible to the eye.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the teeth become weaker?

Many people worry whether filing the teeth will make them sensitive or weaker.

First of all, the teeth are not filed down to the point where they become weak or break.

Enamel is about 1 to 2 mm thick,

and interproximal reduction only decreases it by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm.

A device is used for interproximal reduction,

and it is designed so that it cannot be reshaped beyond a certain proportion.

Process of interproximal reduction

Won’t it feel sensitive or hurt?

Some patients may feel temporary sensitivity.

In most cases, it goes away within a few days.

That is why fluoride is applied after treatment

to help prevent sensitivity.

You will not feel sensitivity or pain during the treatment process.

Is it absolutely necessary? Can’t I just skip it?

If a lot of space is needed,

extraction has to be performed,

but if only a small amount of space is needed,

interproximal reduction can be enough to solve the issue.

250217 showing only a specific tooth being moved inward

It is one of the ways to preserve natural teeth by creating space without extraction.

If space is not secured in some way,

the tooth alignment may proceed under excessive force,

which may result in not achieving the desired outcome.

Won’t the shape of the teeth look strange?

Don’t worry.

There is almost no change in the visible shape of the teeth.

It does not exceed 0.5 mm, and the space is closed after the teeth are aligned.

The space is naturally used for tooth movement

during the orthodontic process,

and later the space is filled in through tooth repositioning.

Rather than thinking of it as filing the teeth,

it is better to think of it as refining them.

You’re probably very worried about the side effects of interproximal reduction, right??

Unlike what patients may worry about,

it is performed safely in the proper sequence.

If what is lost is greater than what is gained,

we never proceed with it~

It is performed only minimally when absolutely necessary.

We do not recommend interproximal reduction unconditionally.

After carefully analyzing the patient’s tooth size, alignment, and orthodontic plan,

we perform it only minimally when it is truly needed.

Today, I covered the questions we are asked most often

and the concerns patients have.

If you have additional concerns,

please leave a "comment."

Thank you!

Are There Any Side Effects of Interproximal Reduction During Orthodontic Treatment? Click Here If You’re Concerned

#InterproximalReductionDuringOrthodonticTreatment #InterproximalReductionSideEffects