Improve your Oral health with Braces

A dentist might recommend Orthodontic treatment for different reasons. A bad bite is one reason where the teeth and jaws do not meet properly causing over, under or cross bite. Other reasons are crowded, crooked or protruded teeth. All these conditions are the result of inheriting teeth size that cannot be accommodated by the inherited jaw size. It could also be the result of habits such as thumb sucking, premature loss of teeth or accidents.

Crooked and crowded teeth make good daily oral hygiene difficult to achieve leading to tooth caries (cavities), gingival disease (gum problems) and even tooth loss. A poor bite can interfere with chewing and speaking leading to abnormal wear to the enamel of the teeth, tooth fracture and TMJ (jaw problems) Orthodontics can correct all these problems resulting in better oral health, overall general health and feeling of well being.

Orthodontic treatments today come in different forms and shapes. The three major categories are fixed appliances (braces), removable appliances (retainers), and aligners (Invisalign).

Fixed appliances (braces) are composed of brackets (part of the braces that attach to the tooth), a wire (inserted into a slot in the brackets) and a rubber band (holds the wire to the bracket). Brackets can be made of metal, ceramic, plastic or gold. The metal braces are now made much smaller for better aesthetic while the ceramic or the plastic are tooth colored making them even more aesthetic. Braces can also be placed on the back of the teeth making them totally inconspicuous. For those who want to show off their braces, there are rubber bands available in all kind of colors such as your favorite color, school colors or holiday hues. New Orthodontic appliance system recently developed (smart bracket) reduces Orthodontic visit time to half and treatment time by a third.

Removable appliances can be taken out of the mouth by the patient and are usually used to correct bite problems in younger children before puberty usually in preparation for braces.

Aligners (Invisalign) are a series of transparent mouth pieces that fit snug to the teeth formed by computers so that each aligner moves the teeth few millimeters and the full series will over time get the teeth in the proper desired position.

Treatment is planned and customized to each patient and the type of appliance used is selected based on a combination of the patient’s desire and the treatment prescribed. People wear Orthodontic appliances anywhere from one to three years. Some treatments are sometimes aided with surgical intervention to manage severe jaw discrepancies. It will then be followed by retainers that are used to hold the teeth in position for a year or two. Although a little discomfort is expected during treatment, newer materials apply constant gentle pressure are more comfortable than ever before. Good oral hygiene is especially important during treatment. Brushing and flossing and scheduled dental cleaning visits will keep teeth healthy during the treatment phase and beyond.

Author Credit -

Maha A. Yousif, DMD, PhD
Canyon Orthodontics