What Can Orthodontics Do To Improve Your Smile?

Orthodontics is a field of dentistry in which the dental professional endeavors to make the appearance of the patient's teeth straighter and more uniform. He uses many different tools and materials to help him achieve properly aligned sets of pearly whites and bites. Malocclusions are what the dentist looks for in a person, most commonly a child, and treats them according to the diagnosis that he has reached. Although these kinds of dental professionals are not focused mainly on children, many of an orthodontists patients are children. The reason behind this is the fact that developing mouths tend to react better to change than those of adults.

Braces are the most commonly associated treatment to orthodontics than any other. The dentist uses wires and brackets to achieve a normal bite and straight teeth. The metal wire may be placed on the upper or lower set or both. They are attached to brackets which are in turn attached to each tooth that may need to be realigned. The wire is tightened or moved every few weeks in order to encourage movement of the teeth to which the brackets are attached. The braces may be attached to a neck brace outside of the mouth called "headgear." The appliance may appear strange to many which is why many children do not like it but they are helpful appliances for correcting bite problems. Orthodontics gives children and adults the opportunity to correct malocclusions, disproportionate jaws and crookedness in the upper or lower set of pearly whites. Adults who need braces may require a longer treatment time compared to children.

Other techniques and methods to correct malocclusions and crooked teeth are also used by orthodontists. A mouthpiece may be recommended by the orthodontist to initially correct tooth alignment when the problem is minimal. These should be worn as much as possible during the day and night by the patient to encourage proper alignment. Compliance is a must for this type of remedy. It is fractionally cheaper than traditional braces. Retainers are also a means of maintaining the correction that has been made to the tooth alignment. These help to hold the corrected teeth in their current place while the bone adjusts to the correction and forms around it.

Orthodontics also presents more advanced and recent developments that can help the individual achieve a better appearance in the oral cavity. Invisalign are plastic appliances that correct and align the upper and lower set according to the measurements that the dentist takes. These are good for slight crookedness but are not that effective for severe crookedness or malocclusions. The reformation of the dentofacial region can also fall on the orthodontist. Many dentists who focus on facial reconstruction operate as specialists and do not treat other orthodontic issues.