Interproximal reduction means removing a small amount of enamel from the sides of one or more teeth. This reduction (some people call it “slenderizing” the tooth) may be performed to make space to correct crowding. Because a very small amount of enamel is removed, the teeth are not more prone to decay. Because there are no nerve endings in enamel, interproximal reduction is not painful.

This person had interproximal reduction on the lower anterior teeth to provide space to correct the crowding. For some people, interproximal reduction is an alternative to tooth extraction.