What is Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontic treatment is correction of crowding or other bite problems. The biological process involved in moving teeth is similar at any age. Children and adults can both benefit from orthodontic treatment. Corrections may take a little longer for adults because of no bone growth and certain corrections may not be achieved with braces alone. Most orthodontic therapy is done around 10-14 years, however, it is recommended that every child receives an orthodontic evaluation by age seven. Treatment is considered even earlier for some bite problems in baby dentition (cross bite).

When should orthodontic treatment be taken?

One of the most common situations leading to orthodontic treatment is crowding of the teeth. In this situation, there is insufficient room for the normal complement of adult teeth, which can sometimes result in teeth being extracted. It is not yet understood if crowding is due to a result of mouthbreathing, or the result of an early loss of deciduous (milk, baby) teeth due to decay. Orthodontics is not always for aesthetic purposes. Braces may be prescribed in cases of so-called “overbite” to help prevent teeth being knocked out in an accident, or due to some sports like, hockey or skating

Process:

If the main goal of the treatment is the dental displacement, most commonly a fixed multibracket therapy is used. In this case orthodontic wires are inserted into dental braces, which can be made from stainless steel or a more esthetic ceramic material.

Also removable appliances, or “plates”, headgear, expansion appliances, and many other devices can be used to move teeth. This therapy is frequently followed by a fixed multibracket therapy to align the teeth and refine the occlusion. The orthodontist will align the teeth with respect to the surrounding soft tissues, with or without movement of the underlying bones, which can be moved either through growth modification in children or jaw surgery in adults.

The objective of the treatment is to make the jaw wider and reshape the mouth so that there is room for permanent teeth. This particular treatment is given in under four stages various stages which are preventive, interceptive, corrective and retention. In the preventive stage the objective

is to attend to the situation before it becomes a problem. This is the stage that starts at an early age.

In the interceptive stage the objective is to make the jaw wider and reshape the mouth so there is room for your permanent teeth. If started early this treatment usually avoids extensive corrective treatment later on. In the corrective stage the teeth and jaws are moved and aligned using the braces. And in the retention stage a retainer is used to keep the teeth in perfect alignment after the braces are removed.