A Basic Guide to Orthodontics

Did you know that most people notice your smile when you first meet? Majority of people focus on your teeth when interacting with you. You have seen that while some peoples’ teeth are well aligned and straight, others are crooked and do not fit together correctly. You can always correct such a condition by getting the ideal orthodontic treatment.

What is Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is the discipline that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of dental irregularities such as bad bites. It includes prevention, guidance, interception, and correction of bad bites. An orthodontist is a medical specialist who focuses on orthodontic treatment and usually attends additional years in their medical course.

Benefits of Orthodontics:-

• Improves the aesthetic of your smile
• It makes cleaning the teeth more manageable, thus minimizing the occurrence of periodontal disease or tooth decay
• It makes chewing food easy
• Minimizes the risk of getting the temporomandibular disorder

Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic treatment involves the use of different appliances to gradually move the teeth, retrain muscles and influence the growth of your teeth. The devices used may be permanent or removable. The device to be used depends on the severity of your situation.

It is best conducted during childhood when the teeth start to come through. The treatment is also performed on adults. The treatment plan takes a few months to a couple of years. The success of the treatment depends on the experience of the orthodontist and your cooperation.

Fixed Appliances

• Braces

Braces comprise wires, bands, and brackets. The bands are anchors to your teeth, while the brackets are attached to the front teeth. Archwires link the brackets to the bands. The dentist tightens the arch wires putting pressure on teeth, thus moving them slowly into the desired position. They are adjusted monthly. You wear them for a period ranging from several months to a couple of years.

• Special fixed appliances

Children’s dentist mainly fixes these to regulate thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. These devices are joined to the teeth by bands and can cause discomfort while eating.

• Fixed space maintainers

These appliances are deployed in rare instances when children lose their teeth prematurely. A doctor in orthodontics dental care places a maintainer in a kid’s mouth to ensure the space remains open till the permanent tooth emerges.

Removable Appliances

• Aligners

Aligners are the most popular appliances used among adults as compared to traditional braces. They move the teeth similarly to the braces, however their structure is different. Unlike braces that involve metal brackets and wires, aligners are almost invisible. You must remove them every time you are eating, brushing, or sleeping.

• Jaw repositioning gadgets (splints)

These appliances are placed either on the upper or lower jaw. They are used to treat TMD by helping the jaw to close in position.

• Removable space maintainers

They are used to keep gaps in the teeth open in readiness for a dental implant. They are made of wire brackets or plastic and an acrylic base. They maintain the space between the teeth open.

• Palatal expander

This gadget is a plastic plate fixed on the roof of the mouth. The dentist uses it when the arch of your upper jaw requires widening.

Other removable appliances include headgear, removable retainers, and lip and cheek bumpers. Contrary to popular belief, orthodontic treatment is not painful. Even though the devices elicit some discomfort in the beginning, you get used to them with time. The only shortcoming is that some appliances such as orthodontic braces require you to visit the dentist every month for readjustment.

Problems that may necessitate orthodontic treatment:-

• Underbite
• Crossbite
• Overbite
• Open bite
• Spacing
• Misplaced midline
• Crowding

Visit an orthodontist in Great Neck, NY to determine the correct orthodontic treatment for you. The orthodontist may use sophisticated tools such as plastic models of your teeth, x-rays, and clinical exams. The dentist develops a personalized treatment for you to follow.

Conclusion

Do you need impartial advice about your dental health? Do you need to learn more about orthodontics? Visit Great Neck Dental Associates today. They are a dental practice that offers orthodontics dental care with flexible treatment plans. Visit them today to discuss orthodontic treatment.