The orthodontist is a medical specialist who takes care of improper bites and various teeth misalignment problems. Orthodontist is highly specialized. They don’t deal with fillings, crowns or dentures, but they can work together with general dentists and with other specialists in oral health.
Orthodontist
People are usually sent to see an orthodontist by their regular dentist. Sometimes they may realize they have a teeth alignment problem, but there are situations in which patients cannot see there’s something wrong with their teeth, especially if they don’t have any major problem such as cavities or gum disease.
Orthodontics treatment
Orthodontics treatments have a series of benefits which may spread way beyond the health of the mouth. Improper bites, also known as malocclusions, may lead to serious health issues such as headaches or malformations of facial bones. Orthodontics specialists can assess the severity of the problem and they are able to prescribe the most appropriate treatme
nt. The main method of correcting the teeth alignment are braces. They consist of brackets that get applied on the tooth surface, all connected to each other through wires. Braces have a control which allows for modifying the pressure applied onto the teeth, so that they start migrating from their current positions into the correct ones.
Orthodontic treatments are the most effective when applied in the childhood or teenage years, when teeth are relatively young. Nonetheless, adults can also benefit from straightening their teeth, but in their case the treatment can be a bit longer. Sometimes, in case of crooked teeth, the removal of a few healthy teeth may be needed in order to make room for the other teeth to spread and occupy the good positions on the gums. At the end of the treatment, dental braces are removed, but some patients have to wear some retainers for the rest of their life. Retainers are not obtrusive. They are applied on the back surface of the teeth, therefore being invisible for everyone else.
Alternative methods
Although braces are the first treatment option, there are also alternative methods which consist of wearing aligner trays for determined periods of time. One of these methods is called Invisalign and it appears to be very effective in many cases or malocclusions or crooked teeth. Patients that follow the Invisalign treatment also have to wear some retainers for a while after their treatment is over. These retainers prevent the teeth from migrating into their old position, thus rendering the treatment ineffective.
Orthodontist
Orthodontic treatments can be quite aggressive to the teeth, therefore not everybody may qualify. If you suffer from gum disease, for instance, your teeth won’t be able to resist all that pressure applied by the braces, therefore you won’t be able to follow such a treatment. If you need orthodontics treatments, consult with Dr.Kim Orthodontics. Orthodontist can evaluate your situation and recommend you the steps to follow. Call us today!
