There has been pushback from orthodontists favoring a more traditional extraction approach. Historically, certain orthodontic companies and orthodontists favoring non-extraction have pushed aggressive marketing, exaggerated claims, and an “all-or-nothing” perspective, leading to a real polarization of this issue.

Non-extraction treatment in “borderline” cases has, at times, earned a bad reputation in our profession. No other topic in residency programs, professional study clubs, and online orthodontic forums raises blood pressure and elevates emotions quite as quickly.

These cases most often involve either significant crowding, protrusion, or both. There is one debate, however, that seems to have weathered the test of time in our profession: The age-old question of extraction or non-extraction in cases that are “borderline” or could potentially be treated either way. We’ve gone from the age of banding every tooth to in-office 3D printing and everything in between. Times change, treatment evolves, and the hot topics in orthodontics do as well. The strategies and mechanics that lead to more favorable outcomes in non-extraction “borderline” cases

Ortho extract software