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Orthodontists and dentists use advanced procedures to treat and save teeth. But sometimes, a tooth just can’t be saved and needs to be extracted. Sometimes it’s due to extensive decay, or infection, or serious injury. Or sometimes, to create a healthy bite, an extraction is necessary during orthodontic treatment.

When does an orthodontist recommend an extraction? Conditions which call for extraction include:

• Incoming Wisdom Teeth

Not many people have enough space in their mouths for four wisdom teeth! And when there’s no room to erupt properly, wisdom teeth can become decayed or infected, push your other teeth out of place, and damage the roots of nearby molars. Extracting wisdom teeth protects your teeth and your bite alignment.

Usually, orthodontic treatment takes place before the wisdom teeth begin to erupt. But if yours start to make an appearance during treatment, your orthodontist and dentist will work together to schedule extraction without interfering too much with your orthodontic treatment plan.

• Tooth and Jaw Structure

Dr. Byron Diehl and the team at Diehl Orthodontics carefully plan your treatment based on examinations, X-rays, and/or 3D imaging. The goal is to align your teeth and jaws for an attractive smile and a healthy, functional bite. When overcrowding is severe, or if there is a serious malocclusion (bite problem), or if a particular tooth is unusually large or misshapen, your orthodontist might recommend an extraction.

Sometimes more room can be made for teeth with appliances such as palatal expanders or, in other cases, with the help of oral surgery. Extractions are only recommended when they are absolutely necessary.

• Baby Teeth Which Aren’t Coming Out 

Baby teeth normally fall out in a predictable pattern. Front teeth first, canines and molars last. Baby teeth have small roots, and these roots begin to break down when the adult teeth underneath put pressure on them as they start to erupt. As the root gets smaller and smaller, the baby tooth gets looser and looser—until it falls out. 

Sometimes, though, the roots of primary teeth don’t break down, and the baby teeth stay right where they are. This means that the permanent teeth have to erupt someplace else—usually behind those baby teeth. This creates a double row of teeth, and your permanent teeth can become crooked or overlap as they try to fit in. Extracting stubborn baby teeth allows your adult teeth to come in just where they’re supposed to. Because of their small roots, extracting primary teeth is usually simple and straightforward, and can be done in your dentist’s office. 

• Too Many Teeth

Most of us have 32 adult teeth, including wisdom teeth. It’s rare, but sometimes an extra, or supernumerary, tooth develops. Your jaw is most probably not equipped to accommodate any extras, so, in this case, the extra tooth or teeth are removed to give the rest of the teeth the space they need to avoid overlapping or crowding.

When your orthodontist recommends an extraction, it’s because it’s important for your dental health. Dr. Byron Diehl will refer you to a dentist or a specialist like a periodontist or oral surgeon, who will: 

• discuss the extraction procedure with you, including sedation options
• numb the area 
• gently loosen and then extract the tooth
• provide options for pain management after the procedure
• give you detailed instructions for aftercare
• work with your orthodontist to keep your treatment on schedule

Extraction is never your first choice, or your orthodontist’s! But when an extraction is necessary for tooth and bite alignment, everyone at Diehl Orthodontics in Redlands, CA will coordinate a treatment plan to create your best—and healthiest—smile.

You can learn just about anything on the Internet these days. You can also order just about anything on the Internet these days.

But would you order your braces on the Internet? There’s a new trend involving websites that claim to offer a solution for straightening teeth, without your ever seeing a dentist or orthodontist in person.

These companies usually have patients take an impression of their teeth using putty and a tray. Then you mail the impressions back to the company where a dentist reportedly examines them and suggests a course of treatment using 3D modeling software.

A series of clear aligners are made, to be worn by the patient in order to attain the desired result. Although this form of orthodontic treatment may cost less than seeing an orthodontist in person, there are several reasons why you should avoid it:

• Potential health hazards are missed: If your oral health is not up to par (e.g., you have cavities, gingivitis, chipped teeth, etc.), an orthodontist would not suggest orthodontic treatment. Only after these issues are addressed would treatment be considered as an option. Whether this is the case with a person can’t be known when all the doctor sees is a set of impressions.
• Lack of information about the patient: Before you receive any orthodontic treatment, an orthodontist will have X-rays taken to make sure you are a good candidate. If the bones or teeth do not look like they would align properly with treatment, another course of care may be suggested, even necessary. None of this background is available to over-the-net orthodontic providers.
• No regular checkups: The purpose of regular checkups with Dr. Byron Diehl is to ensure that everything is moving properly, on schedule, and most important, safely. This lack of hands-on care with Internet orthodontics could be a hazard for you as a patient and has the potential to do more harm than good.

It’s not worth the risk of getting orthodontic treatment over the net just to save some money. Our Redlands, CA office is committed to working with you, whatever your financial situation may be.

Let’s work together to give you the smile you deserve!

Valentine’s Day is best known as a celebration of love in all its forms. Pink hearts, red roses, and cute greeting cards adorn every surface you see. What many people don’t realize is that the modern Valentine’s Day celebration arose from a religious holiday.

St. Valentine’s Day was originally celebrated as a religious feast day in honor of early Christian martyrs. Three martyrs named Valentine were honored: a priest in Rome, the persecuted bishop of Interamna (a town in central Italy), and a saint martyred in Africa. This saint’s day was celebrated throughout Christendom, although it was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969.

The origin of Valentine’s Day as a holiday for lovers began with Geoffrey Chaucer in his 1382 poem “Parlement of Foules.” Chaucer wrote, “For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate,” and the modern romantic holiday was born. William Shakespeare and other writers mentioned Valentine’s Day as a day of love.

Valentine’s Day as we know it came about in the early 19th century. In Victorian England, printers began manufacturing small numbers of cards with romantic verses, lace, ribbons, and other frills. Anonymous Valentine’s Day card were a popular way for young lovers to exchange romantic sentiments in an otherwise prudish time. As the 19th century progressed, printers began mass manufacturing Valentine’s Day cards. People in the United States give an estimated 190 million valentines every year, and up to one billion if you count children exchanging cards at school! With the rise of the Internet, Valentine’s Day e-cards have become a popular mode of communication, with millions of e-cards sent each year.

The other items associated with Valentine’s Day include chocolate and flowers. The tradition of giving chocolates has been around for decades, and Richard Cadbury created the first box of Valentine’s Day chocolates nearly 150 years ago. Today, purchases of chocolate total over $1 billion in the United States alone, with 35 million heart-shaped boxes sold each year. Loved ones also exchange flowers, with red roses being associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. On Valentine’s Day itself, florists sell nearly 200 million stems of roses.

Although many people dismiss Valentine’s Day as a commercialized “Hallmark holiday,” it is beloved to couples and romantics across the United States and other countries. The team at Diehl Orthodontics wants to remind all patients that no matter what your celebratory plans, February 14th can be a wonderful day to celebrate the loved ones in your life. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) describe a set of conditions that involve trouble with your jaw and face muscles. They result from a problem in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is a hinge that connects the temporal bones, in your skull in front of each ear, to your jaw. The joint enables you to talk, yawn, and chew by letting your mouth move.

TMD can be very painful and interfere with functions such as eating and speaking. This what to watch for and how to try to prevent TMD.

Risk Factors for TMD

You are at higher risk for TMD if you are a women than if you are male. The disorder is most common among adults between the ages of 20 and 40 years. Other risk factors for TMJ disorders include the following.

• Arthritis in the area, making movement more difficult
• Excessive tooth grinding, because it increases stress on the joint
• General stress, which can lead you to clench your teeth and strain facial muscles

Symptoms of TMD

Symptoms of TMD can last for just a short while, or for several years. Seeing Dr. Byron Diehl is important if your symptoms make it impossible for you to eat regularly or if you have unbearable pain or discomfort. The following symptoms can occur on both or one side of your face.

• Aching or very tired facial muscles
• Jaws that are fixed open or shut without you being able to unlock them
• Grating or popping sounds when you chew or close or open your mouth
• Pain in the entire area, including the mouth, jaw, neck, or shoulders, that comes on when you chew or yawn

Preventing TMD

You can try to prevent TMD by focusing on reducing risk factors. If you grind your teeth at night, ask Dr. Byron Diehl about wearing a mouthguard. If you are overly stressed, look into ways to better manage your stress and relax your muscles. Another strategy for trying to prevent the development of TMD is to avoid chewing gum, since that puts stress on your jaw.

If you have questions about TMD, don’t hesitate to contact our Redlands, CA office.