About

The brand of dentistry that deals with the correction of improperly shaped teeth and jaws are known as orthodontics. Not only irregularly shaped teeth make your smile less than perfect, but they also make it hard to keep up with an ideal dental hygiene routine. The bristles of your toothbrush will not reach every tooth, and you will not be able to floss your teeth properly. This misalignment can also result in other problems, including headache, TMJ disorder, and pain in the neck, back, and shoulders.

The purpose of orthodontic treatment is to give you a healthier and more pleasant smile. You will be able to clean your teeth conveniently, which means that they are likely to last a lifetime.

A specialist who performs orthodontic treatments is known as an orthodontist. These professionals receive multiple years of education, aside from four years of study in a dental school.

How to know if you need orthodontics

Your orthodontist will tell you whether or not you need this treatment. He will run some tests, including x-rays and photographs, and check full medical and dental history to determine if you are the right candidate for orthodontics.

You may be a candidate for orthodontic treatment if you have any of the following problems.

  • Overbite, which is also known as buck teeth - It refers to a too-forward position of the upper teeth compared to the lower teeth.
  • Underbite, which is a condition referring to the forward position of the lower teeth
  • Crossbite, in which the upper teeth do not come down a little in front of the lower teeth
  • Open bite, which refers to a space between the chewing surfaces of teeth
  • Misplaced midline, which is a problem referring to the center of your upper teeth not coming in line with the center of the lower teeth
  • Spacing, which refers to the gap between teeth
  • Crowding, which is when there are too many teeth in the dental ridge

Orthodontic treatment

The types of appliances used in orthodontic treatments can be fixed or removable. The purpose of these appliances is to change the position of teeth to bring them into alignment. These treatments are ideal for teens with misaligned teeth because their facial structures are still growing, which creates an ideal scenario for an orthodontic treatment to remain effective. However, people of any age can benefit from orthodontics.

Fixed appliances used for orthodontic treatments include the following.

  • Braces: these fixed appliances consist of bands, wires, and brackets. An orthodontist attaches brackets to the front sides of teeth and passes a wire through them. Any adjustment in these wires puts tension on teeth, resulting in them changing moving and turning towards the desired alignment. You may have to wear this appliance from few months to few years, depending on the severity of your teeth’ misalignment.
  • Fixed space maintainer: This appliance is used to maintain the gap that results from the loss of a missing baby tooth.

There are some removable appliances as well. Those include the following.

  • Aligners: Your dentist may choose to give you a set of aligners if you do not want to keep wearing braces. This treatment involves the use of a series of aligners. The best thing about these aligners is that they are not visible, which means that you can remove them when you need to brush your teeth or eat your foods.
  • Removable retainers: You will need to wear these retainers after orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this appliance is to prevent teeth from shifting back to their previous position.

There are many other orthodontic treatments, which you can talk about with your dentist.

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