What is orthodontics?

Everyone yearns for neat, white and attractive teeth

But not everyone is born with a set of attractive teeth

What about orthodontics?

And look down, you will know

Orthodontics is professionally called orthodontic treatment, that is, to effectively control the movement of teeth through appliances, correct malocclusion, and achieve a good occlusal relationship, thereby improving oral health and function, such as facilitating oral hygiene and cleaning, improving chewing efficiency, and improving oral health. Airway ventilation, improving facial appearance, etc.

At present, more and more people seek orthodontists to do orthodontics for the sake of beauty. In fact, the greatest significance of orthodontics lies in oral health.

Normal teeth are arranged neatly, which is conducive to chewing food, saliva washing and self-cleaning teeth. However, misaligned and maloccluded teeth lose their self-cleaning effect, are more likely to be impacted by food, and oral hygiene becomes difficult to clean, causing red and swollen gums, bad breath, and calculus formation. Over time, caries and periodontal disease will form.

Aligning teeth, correcting occlusal relationship, and eliminating occlusal trauma through orthodontics can not only improve facial appearance, but also help clean oral hygiene, enhance masticatory function, thereby reducing the occurrence of caries and periodontitis, and prolonging the service life of teeth.

Due to the complex causes of malocclusion, the optimal timing of correction is different for different malocclusions.

Usually, the golden age of orthodontics is about 12 years old, because at this age, teenagers are at the peak of growth and development, and the child's alveolar bone remodeling ability is very strong, and orthodontics can just make full use of the child's jaw. The potential for facial growth and development enables tooth movement and alveolar reconstruction to a better level, achieving multiplier results with half the effort.

However, according to different malocclusions, there are three best timings for correction:

From 3 years old to 5 years old, children can carry out some early intervention or early correction of overbite (cross bite) and deep bite (deep bite) if they cooperate with the situation.

From 6 to 8 years old, it is possible to correct bad oral habits, early correction of bone development problems, protruding upper teeth, and ground cover.

From 9 to 12 years old, final orthodontic treatment can be done for misaligned teeth, jaw problems and other malocclusion problems.

The alveolar bone has a lifelong remodeling effect, which is the fundamental reason why the teeth can move in the alveolar bone. Therefore, as long as the teeth and periodontium are in a healthy state, there is no strict age limit for orthodontics. Compared with age, periodontal health is the most important factor to pay attention to.

The culprit of loose teeth is usually periodontitis, periodontitis will make our alveolar bone slowly resorb, leading to loose teeth, and eventually fall out. In addition, early teeth contact and occlusal trauma caused by malocclusion in the oral cavity can also easily lead to loose teeth. There's more than one reason for loose teeth, but it's certainly not orthodontics.

On the contrary, the teeth after correction are more tidy, easy to brush teeth, and not easy to impact food, which is conducive to daily oral cleaning, and the oral cavity is cleaner and healthier. Instead, it is less likely to have other oral diseases, and it is more likely to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) dental health. Proposed standard: 8020, that is, an 80-year-old person should have at least 20 functional teeth (that is, teeth that can chew food normally and are not loose).

There are currently two main types of orthodontic appliances, fixed and clear.

Fixed aligners are what we commonly call steel braces. Some say steel braces work well, while others say invisible braces are comfortable. In fact, each appliance has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is not possible to simply compare which braces are better. It is necessary for the doctor to comprehensively design and select the appliance that suits you according to the complexity of the case.

Another type of aligner is active aligners, such as the ones shown in the following pictures. These are usually aligners for early correction, or some devices used in conjunction with the correction process, and are usually used at one stage as needed.

For orthodontists, they need to think more about their own needs and budget, such as how long it takes for orthodontics, the cycle of follow-up visits, whether there are special requirements for your occupation, and the orthodontic expectations you want to achieve The effect, the impact of the appearance of the appliance on you, how much it will cost and how to pay it.

Generally speaking, steel braces are usually cheaper than invisible braces, but invisible braces are more beautiful and comfortable than steel braces, but each person's own characteristics are different. Your doctor will work with you to design and choose a treatment plan and appliance that suits you according to your situation.

Teeth that have had root canal treatment can usually be straightened. If the root canal treatment has been completed and a crown restoration (some people call it a braces) has been done later, the crown may need to be replaced after the correction is completed. During the orthodontic treatment, the teeth need to move, and the position of the teeth will change. The crown and the edge of the gums may not fit together, and small gaps may appear. This is normal. After the correction is completed, it is recommended to consider replacing the crown to prevent bacteria from entering the small gaps, further corroding the teeth and causing tooth decay!

If you already have dental implants in your mouth, it can be corrected. However, since the implant cannot be moved through correction, the design of the correction plan also needs to accommodate the implant, which will have certain limitations, which may increase the difficulty of the plan design, and may also be more complicated.

Suggestion: If you already have missing teeth in your mouth and you want to consider orthodontics, please consult the orthodontist first, and then find the right time to implant teeth after the orthodontist formulates a corrective plan.

I hope that the answers to these questions can get rid of your doubts and prejudices about orthodontics, help you bravely embark on a long journey of orthodontics, and meet a better self in the future.