Your orthodontist wants to SHAVE your teeth?! 😱 Let me explain IPR aka interproximal reduction… because I know it sounds scary, but it's actually one of the most conservative things we do! 🦷 So what is it? IPR is where we gently polish away a tiny amount of enamel from between your teeth, we're talking fractions of a millimeter, to create space. Here's the breakdown: 1. WHY do we do it? When there's mild crowding and we need just a little extra room so your teeth can straighten without having to move other teeth or affect the bite! 2. HOW MUCH enamel are we talking? Only about 0.2–0.5mm per contact — and your enamel is 2.5 mm thick, so we're barely touching the surface! We always polish it smooth afterward so it stays healthy and cavity-free. 3. DOES IT HURT? Nope! There are no nerves in enamel, so most people don't feel a thing..: it just sounds a little funny 😅 if it hurts we stop immediately So IPR lets us fix crowding, reshape teeth, and get everything fitting together perfect...