ABOUT ORTHODONTICS

Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry. The purpose of orthodontics is to treat any type of malocclusion, which is simply another way of saying "bad bite". A bad bite is not only applicable to children either; as increasingly adults are seeking treatment for deteriorated bites to enhance facial features too. When you have a "bad bite", that means your teeth, lips and/or jaws don't line up the way they should. As a result, your teeth may be crooked, your bite may not work correctly and your jaws may look unbalanced and cause secondary symptoms such as severe headaches, ear aches and joint problems. To fix bad bites, orthodontists use braces and other corrective procedures to achieve tooth and jaw alignment. This correction of the teeth and their supportive structures makes for a healthy, attractive smile.

All orthodontists are dentists, but are specially qualified in orthodontics. Only a small portion of dentists are orthodontists. An orthodontist is a specialist in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. Admission to orthodontic education programmes is extremely competitive and selective and it takes many years of intensive study to become an orthodontist.

Many orthodontic problems are inherited and may cause crowding, spacing, protrusion, extra or missing teeth and some jaw growth problems. Sometimes a "bad bite" develops over time through thumb- or finger-sucking, mouth breathing, dental disease, abnormal swallowing, poor dental hygiene, the early or late loss of baby (primary) teeth, loss of permanent teeth, accidents, poor nutrition, or some medical problems.

The practice of Orthodontics is important because it is hard to clean and maintain crooked and crowded teeth which can lead to teeth decay, gum disease and tooth loss. A bad bite can also cause irregular abrasion of tooth surfaces, difficulty in chewing and/or speaking, tension on the supporting bone and gum tissue and possible jaw joint problems. An unattractive smile can also cause self-esteem issues. Children and adults whose malocclusions are left untreated may go through life feeling self-conscious and hiding their smiles, causing additional issues. Orthodontic treatment to correct a problem may prove less costly than the additional dental and other medical care that might be needed to treat the problems that can develop in later years.

Orthodontic appliances can be made of metal, ceramic or plastic/acrylic. They can be removable or they may be brackets bonded to the teeth. Braces slowly move teeth to their correct position by constantly and gently forcing them into carefully controlled directions. The biologic process is the same in both children and adults.