Things To Know About Orthodontic Treatment

Visiting an orthodontist brings many questions into one’s mind. Most importantly, people keep avoiding to schedule an appointment and get a checkup. Answer to all the questions is hard to find, and even your orthodontist will not be able to answer some of them due to his busy schedule. Therefore, in this article, all the answers to your queries are available. It will not only help you to get clarity about different things but will also ensure a positive mind-setup about orthodontic treatment and its benefits. 

Understanding an orthodontist 

Having doubts about who is an orthodontist or how he is different from your family dentist? Well, an orthodontist is also a dentist, but he specializes in orthodontics. It is a field that deals with correcting teeth, bites, and straightening, along with other practices. Dentofacial orthopedics also falls under this category. An orthodontic is one of the most qualified and experienced experts in dentistry. 

Knowing the need for orthodontic treatment

While one must go for regular dental checkups and examinations now and then. Healthy teeth are an essential part of oral health as well as overall health too. 

Apart from regular checkups, there may be chances that one could either forget the appointment or didn’t remember even to schedule one. However, if you want to know when it’s time to go for orthodontic treatment, here are the signs. Visit your nearest clinic of Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics to know more about the possible symptoms for early identification of the issues. 

1. Excessive protruding of upper front teeth cover the lower one, or the teeth are bucked.  
2. Deep bite, i.e., when the upper front teeth cover lower teeth while
3. Underbite problem, i.e., Teeth of the top front, are either inside or behind the lower front teeth. 
4. There’s an issue of an open bite, i.e. when the top front and lower front teeth aren’t in touch while biting together.
5. Overlapping or crowded teeth, which mean that the center of both lower and upper teeth isn’t lined up. 
6. Continuance of thumb or finger sucking habit even after the child is 6 or 7 years old. 
7. Difficulty in chewing 
8. Uneven or Excessive teeth wearing. 
9. Teeth spacing 
10. Shifting of lower jaw towards either of the sides while biting together. 

Importance of orthodontic treatment

Straighter teeth bring manifold benefits to you, such as it gives you a beautiful and healthy smile. Well-aligned teeth are more natural to clean, and it is convenient to maintain their health. On the contrary, crowded or crooked teeth may lead to tooth decay and eventually cause tooth loss and gum diseases. Orthodontic problems result in abnormal wearing on the tooth surfaces, inefficiency in chewing, excessively stressed gum tissue, misaligned jaw joints. 

Therefore, opting for orthodontic treatment will address these problems. It will also avoid discomfort and unnecessary pain. Identification of these issues at an early stage will save you a great deal of money rather than getting treatment when the problems would worsen. 

Phases of orthodontic treatment

Phase I of the orthodontic treatment is restricted until the eruption of all permanent teeth. Patients who have a clear indication of orthodontic intervention, the First phase of treatment provides:

• Guidance of jaw growth related to crossbites and underbites. 
• Guidance regarding the eruption of permanent teeth incoming and putting them into correct positions
• Correction of habits such as finger or thumb sucking
• Improving self-esteem and personal appearance 
• Simplifying or shortening of treatment for late corrective orthodontic treatment
• Preservation or gaining permanent teeth spacing. 

Unlike Phase I, the second phase is a comprehensive treatment. It comprises full braces. It usually occurs after the complete eruption of permanent teeth.

The ‘right time’ for orthodontic treatment 

Though getting an orthodontic treatment is suitable for any age, but the sooner, the better. Also, getting the same at an ideal stage will provide the best results. For instance, if there’s a need for treatment of jaw size, it should begin when there is growth still to occur. Otherwise, you will need to do more compromises and more money too. Patients having narrow jaw should go for orthopedic expansion right away, for it will expand the creation of more room. It will allow tooth alignment giving you a broader and attractive smile. It is necessary to begin the expansion at the correct time, or it will not produce desirable results if it started too late. 

Orthodontic treatment is best for both adults and children. Both of them can get comprehensive treatment once the issue is identified. Especially for adults, it is never late to achieve an attractive and healthy smile. Also, there are options available for metal braces, i.e., clear aligners. You can remove them while brushing or eating and wear them again. The best part is they aren’t visible as the metal braces.