Orthodontics Guide

by mheo soriano

The only person that can determine if you can benefit from an orthodontic treatment is your dentist or orthodontist

The judgment will be based on diagnostic tools that include a full medical and dental health history, a clinical exam, plaster models of your teeth, and special X-rays and photographs, an orthodontist or dentist can decide whether orthodontics are recommended, and develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.

If you have any of the following irregularities, you may be a candidate for orthodontic treatment:

•Overbite
Sometimes called “buck teeth”.You have this when your upper front teeth lie too far forward (stick out) over the lower teeth
•Underbite
It is like having the “bulldog” appearance wherein your lower teeth are too far forward or the upper teeth too far back

To be continued…

There’s a saying a straight smile is a healthy smile. That’s very true. It also adds up confidence when you have to appear on an interview. It will also help you get a clearer speech for public speaking. But what if your set of teeth is crooked or deformed? How do you smile with confidence? That’s the time that you should get braces. A nice smile is not only beautiful, it also promotes good health. Remember you are not straightening your teeth to be beautiful but because you want to stay healthy and be more comfortable. It’s always good to appear beautiful and healthy.

Fluoride therapy is commonly practiced and generally agreed upon as being useful in the modern dental field. Fluoride combats the formation of tooth decay primarily in three ways:

• Fluoride promotes the remineralization of a tooth. Fluoride has been found to enhance the tooth remineralization process. The presence of this fluoride in turn attracts other minerals (such as calcium), thus resulting in the formation of new tooth mineral.
• Fluoride can make a tooth more resistant to the formation of tooth decay. The new tooth mineral that is created by the remineralization process in the presence of fluoride is actually a “harder” mineral compound than existed when the tooth initially formed.
• Fluoride can inhibit oral bacteria’s ability to create acids. Fluoride decreases the rate at which the bacteria that live in dental plaque can produce acid by disrupting the bacteria and its ability to metabolize sugars.

-Source

Many people who have deformed set of teeth want to try brackets but hesitant to do it because of the appearance. So, they sometimes just bear their looks and forget about having their teeth done. But not anymore… you can now have it done on crystal clear brackets. Unlike other colored shade brackets, they virtually disappear despite of the tooth shade that you have. They are easy to debond and has smooth and comfortable texture. Torque strength is 3 times better than of the ceramic ones. So if you think of having this kind of brackets, go and ask your dentist’s advice.

Orthodontic headgear consists of three major components:

1. Face bow: firstly the face-bow (or J-Hooks), which fits with a metal arch onto headgear tubes attached to the rear upper and lower molars. This face bow then extends out of the mouth and around the face. Both upper and lower face-bows may be used. J-Hooks are different in that they hook into the patient’s mouth and attach directly to the brace (see photo for example of J-Hooks).
2. Head-cap: the second part consists of a head-cap, which consists of a number of straps fitting around the head. This is then attached with elastic bands or springs to the face-bow. Additional straps and safety attachments will be used to ensure comfort and safety (see photo).
3. Attachment: the third and final component (typically rubber bands, elastic or springs) joins the face bow or J-Hooks and the head cap together, providing the force to move the teeth backwards.

-Source

Since cosmetic dental work is not covered by a normal health card, as it is elective by nature. A person who would want to avail of a restorative dental procedure may have to Invest on cosmetic dentistry financing to manage costs. A smile makeover, being a part of cosmetic dentistry takes into careful consideration, the skin tone, the hair color as well as the hue of the eyes in order to make a perfect match for the teeth.

Crowding of teeth is where there is insufficient room for the normal complement of adult teeth. Crowding of teeth is recognized as an affliction that stems in part from a modern western lifestyle. We do not know for sure whether it is due to the consistency of western diets; a result of mouthbreathing; or the result of an early loss of deciduous (milk, baby) teeth due to decay. It is also possible that Homo sapiens have evolved smaller jaws without a reduction in the number of teeth they will house happening at the same time. Crowding of the teeth is treated with orthodontics, often with, tooth extraction, dental braces, followed by growth modification in children or jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery) in adults. -Source

Retainers are required to be worn once treatment with braces is complete. The orthodontist will recommend a retainer based on the patient’s needs. If a patient does not wear the retainer as recommended, the teeth might move towards their original position (relapse). A Hawley retainer is made of metal hooks that surround the teeth and are enclosed by an acrylic plate shaped to fit the patient’s palate. An Essix retainer is similar to Invisalign trays. It is a clear plastic tray form-fitted to the teeth and stays in place by suction. A bonded retainer is a wire permanently bonded to the lingual side of the teeth (usually the lower teeth only). -Source