What is an orthodontist?

To put in a layman’s language an Orthodontist is nothing but a dentist. An Orthodontist specializes in the area of dentistry mainly pertaining to the correction of misaligned teeth or to simply put he sets right the irregularities of your teeth with help of braces, retainers or other dental instruments.

What qualifies a person to be an orthodontist?
An orthodontist requires completing four years of education in a dental school and later specializes in orthodontics training for a period of 2-3 years. An orthodontist is a specialist in treating any deformity of the teeth that will improve the appearance and is also helpful to maintain a good oral health.

Why should you visit an orthodontist?
You are considered blessed if you have a good set of pearly white set of 32 teeth, but in general you will find that a majority of people have overlapping teeth or their teeth are in a zigzag arrangement. An orthodontist is skilled and well equipped to align your teeth to a normal range, which makes it easier to keep the teeth clean and chewing gets a lot better.

Conditions like protruding teeth or misappropriate jaw position can also be rectified by an orthodontist. The most important function of the teeth is to chew and it very vital for both the upper and lower teeth need to simultaneously crush the food intake without harming the position of the jaw, which can otherwise lead to headaches or joint ailments. An orthodontist is well qualified in treating almost all your oral woes.

The process and treatment
In a general scenario, your regular dentist may help you or will refer you to an orthodontist specialist. It is important to know that both children and adults can undergo the treatment provided they have got all permanent teeth. The orthodontist will perform a thorough examination and if required he may do a few x-ray studies and extract plaster model of your teeth for further study. He will then assess the treatment required and explain you the details.

The treatment could include removal of teeth in case you have clustered teeth; it will help create space in the mouth. He may prescribe you to insert plastic, metal or ceramic braces that are adhered to the teeth for some period of time depending on the severity of the problem. There are invisible braces too, which is a plastic mould and needs to be worn for 23 hours and you can get rid of them while brushing and eating. If have a problem with your jaw, the doctor will use functional appliances that treat problems of over bite and under bite and can also alter the growth of the jaw.  

After effects of orthodontic treatment
Once you undergo one of the treatments, you will need to use a special instrument called retainer to keep your teeth aligned for sometime unless the gums and bone retain their position. The benefits of the treatment can be acquired only through regular visit to the orthodontist and through proper personal care.