Everything You Need to Know About Orthodontics

Many people with misaligned teeth or jaw visit orthodontists for orthodontic treatments to correct the irregularities. First, however, it is crucial to know how orthodontics works, including treatment options.

What is Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is simply a subdivision of dentistry that deals with diagnosing, treating, and preventing misaligned teeth and jaws. Orthodontic treatment is essential in monitoring jaw developments and reducing the risks of possible dental problems.

The treatment straightens your teeth or jaw and moves them into their appropriate positions to improve appearance and teeth bite. Straightening makes teeth cleaning easier and improves the oral health of an individual. 

In fact, it is essential to go for professional Orthodontics Arvada-based, or any other location for early detection and treatment. This will help you avoid the risk of having dental problems such as cavities, gingivitis, and teeth decay in the future.

Orthodontics is also crucial in correcting the following teeth irregularities:

• Crowded teeth – Genetic issues cause overcrowded teeth. For example, a smaller jaw creates insufficient space for the teeth to grow, leading to crowding. Premature loss of baby teeth, extra adult teeth, and abnormal tooth growth also cause crowding.
• Crossbite – Crossbite affects the alignment of teeth. In this case, the upper teeth lie behind the lower ones when a person closes their mouth. The condition is caused by genetics, thumb-sucking, tongue-thrusting, prolonged use of a pacifier or bottle, and early loss of baby teeth.
• Deep overbite – Deep overbite is the misalignment of the upper and lower teeth, including the back molars. It occurs when the upper front teeth come down over the bottom front teeth when you close your mouth. Missing teeth, jaw injury, and genetics are some of the common causes of deep overbite.
• Overjet – An overjet is a misalignment condition where the top front teeth stick out past the bottom teeth, creating a horizontal gap between your teeth’ top and bottom rows. The condition makes the top teeth appear more prominent and uncomfortable. Excessive tongue thrusting, overcrowded teeth, and Delayed growth of adult teeth are some of the causes of overjet.
• An open bite – An open bite is a condition that causes misalignment of teeth when the jaw is closed. It is caused by tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, and skeletal problems where the jaws grow apart rather than grow parallel to each other. It is mainly caused by genetics.

Orthodontic Treatment Options

When you visit an orthodontist, they will conduct X-ray tests to evaluate your teeth or jaw problem and prescribe appropriate treatment. For example, depending on the condition of your jaw, an orthodontist may consider surgery to realign the jaws.

Depending on the cause, the specialist may choose any of the following types of surgery:

• Maxillary osteotomy, which is done on the upper jaw to correct crossbites and open bites,
• Mandibular osteotomy corrects overbite and protruding lower jaw, and 
• Genioplasty is done by cutting the chin in the front jaw to correct the twisted chin.

Most specialists use braces, including metal, ceramic, lingual, and invisible braces to correct teeth misalignments. Nevertheless, depending on the condition of your teeth, the orthodontist might consider surgery to align the misaligned teeth.