Orthodontics, Braces, & Invisalign - Manhattan and Riverdale, NY (New York), Orthodontist, Adam Goodman and Orthodontist Margareth Mintzberg

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You Want to FILE my Teeth??
Most orthodontic cases involve crowded teeth, which means that the width of all the teeth within the dental arch exceeds the arch circumference. It was common forty years ago to have permanent teeth removed to gain the necessary space, even when the degree of crowding was minimal. This often resulted in problems, either residual spacing after treatment, flattening of the profile, or - according to some experts - even TMJ problems.

Many cases are treated today without extractions. However, we resort to this only when the crowding is severe. In most crowded cases, we expand the dental arch to gain the space to align the teeth. In lieu of tooth extraction, should expansion be limited, a technique called interproximal tooth reduction is performed. A file is used to slightly and gently recontour the teeth in the crowded area, by a degree of about only 1% of the total tooth width. It is completely painless, since there are no nerve endings in the outer layer of teeth, and the teeth are not left more susceptible to decay. Years of clinical research have demonstrated this, and this technique is used by nearly every orthodontist.

Dr. Goodman is a Certified Invisalign® Provider