A buck, or a crooked, or a missing tooth, or too many teeth, take away the charm of a beautiful smile. However, orthodontics can make every smile look good. Orthodontics, a branch of dentistry, specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of problems with the alignment of teeth and jaws. The technical term for such problems is malocclusion, which literally means bad bite.
Malocclusion can be caused by a variety of problems, including crowded teeth, protruding teeth, an under bite where the lower teeth protrude beyond the upper teeth, a deep bite, where the upper teeth cover the lower teeth, an open bite in which the upper and lower teeth don’t meet, missing teeth, extra teeth, and thumb sucking. Some are worn all the time for more than two years, while others are worn at night or just occasionally. Some dentists also perform orthodontic treatment, referring complicated cases to an orthodontist. Problems are often detected around the age of nine, by which stage several permanent teeth have descended. Until all the permanent teeth are through, the fitting of braces couldn’t be started as it can be between ages 11 to 14 only. However, at this age, some interventional treatment can be started.
The most efficient and accurate way of moving teeth are braces. Sometimes color gold is added to stainless steel, which is the most commonly used material in braces. It is done for adults and those with fair skin or light colored hair. There are even glow in the dark versions for a startling night time effect.
Some people prefer a more subtle approach such as the famous movie star, whose teeth used to be severely skewed, used to wear clear ceramic braces. Thermally stimulated wires are by products of innovations build up by the NASA space program.
The flexibility of these wires makes them easy to thread into the braces on crooked teeth. However, once fitted, the warmth of the mouth causes them to stiffen and begin the process of straightening the teeth. Braces have found more social acceptance these days. I guess it’s rather like mouth jewelry.
A first orthodontic visit can involve a discussion on the patient’s teeth problems, possible solutions and their cost, and a timeframe. This first visit can cost around $45 plus x-rays. Once the orthodontist comes up with a treatment plan, it is payable only if treatment isn’t undertaken.
It can take some time to fit braces. Patients will need to return every six or seven weeks in order to get their braces checked, tightened if necessary and change the rings and wires. Finishing an entire orthodontic treatment is a major pledge but many people choose not to do it.
Several adults are just not worried about their dental structure; some do like extra measures such as cleaning in the area around brackets and wires, whereas some feel uncomfortable of their changed appearance. The cost of treatments such as placing a spacer to slightly move a tooth from another or advising the use of a bite stick to move a tooth from cross bite is negligible.
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