What is Orthodontics?
A beautiful smile and perfectly aligned teeth enhance the beauty of your face. But everyone may not have a perfect smile with perfect teeth. Most people don’t smile confidently due to crooked teeth that don’t fit together or have other dental irregularities. The good news is that you can easily straighten your teeth and correct your bite with the help of orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontics is a specialist branch of dentistry that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, interception, guidance, and correction of bad bites or dental irregularities, including the use of braces. The word “orthodontics” is a combination of two Greek words – “orthos” meaning straight and “dontics” meaning teeth. Orthodontics therefore can be described as the practice of straightening misaligned teeth or malocclusions. Dentists who specialize in orthodontics help manage abnormal positioning of the teeth, jaws, and face.
A specialist known as an orthodontist is the right person to consult for any of your orthodontic treatment.
Straightening your teeth does not only have aesthetic benefits but has additional benefits over- improving cosmetic appearance. Crooked teeth can be harder to clean, which can further lead to tooth decay. Irregular teeth can make it difficult to chew your food, leading to headaches, shoulder or back pain, and even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Opting for straightening the teeth will reduce the risk of gum injury due to irregular teeth and trauma due to overbites and malocclusions. It will further reduce the risk of dental caries that occur due to the collection of food particles between the teeth. Orthodontic treatment may lead to the improvement in the functioning of teeth including better chewing and clearer pronunciation and speech
Orthodontic treatment may improve your appearance by providing a cosmetic correction. It creates a healthy functional bite and the person may feel better with orthodontic treatment. It also reduces the risk of other diseases of teeth due to crooked or irregular teeth.
There is no age requirement or limit when it comes to enjoying the advantages of a beautiful, vibrant smile. You can consult an orthodontic whenever you feel the need to do so. Early treatment is important for children’s oral health and self-confidence.
The advantage of early diagnosis and treatment of orthodontic problems can eliminate a lot of time, money, and stress in the future. It is generally recommended by dentists that children should have their first orthodontic examination as early as 7 years to assess potential problems. Correcting small problems in the early stages can prevent bigger problems and complications in the future. Any signs of potential orthodontic problems in young children may not be initially visible, so an early orthodontic examination will be helpful.
Signs that indicate an orthodontic checkup is needed in young children.
- early or late loss of milk teeth,
- the habit of sucking on fingers/pacifiers,
- over spaced teeth,
- jaw dysfunction,
- irregular teeth
- difficulty in chewing food
By quickly detecting potential problems, orthodontics can move quickly to correct them. Early space maintenance and early correction in crossbite cases may minimize the duration of treatments.
Young people have enough to deal with growing up and they are more particular about their appearance than ever before. A beautiful smile is an important factor in developing the confidence and self-esteem of an adolescent to grow into a happy and healthy adult. This is the right time for orthodontic treatment and care, as teeth can be corrected easier at a younger age. The quicker the orthodontic treatment starts, the happier the teenager!
Orthodontic treatment at the right age benefits in a wide variety of conditions such as an overbite, underbite, dysfunctional smile, or a sunken/protruding chin. Correcting all these conditions is essential for proper tooth and jaw alignment, which is the key to long-term oral health.
