How Does Orthodontic Treatment Work?

The pros of orthodontic treatment are many, both cosmetically and medically! If you feel that you would benefit from ortho, speak with your dentist and express your concerns and desires for your smile. Your dentist will be able to refer you to an orthodontist minneapolis minnesota who can evaluate your teeth and bite to see if you would indeed benefit from orthodontia. The orthodontist will examine the alignment of your bite and the state of your teeth. X-rays and photographs are usually taken to help the doctor create a treatment plan just for you.

Candidates for orthodontic treatment include individuals who have:

• an overbite: where the upper teeth are set too far over the lower teeth; there may also be an overjet where the front teeth protrude out (buck teeth)
• an underbite: this is when the lower teeth are set in front of the upper teeth
• an open bite: this occurs when the back teeth meet but the front teeth do not come together and overlap as they should
• a crossbite: where the teeth are angled in toward the tongue instead of sitting straight up and down or the upper front teeth do not lay slightly over but directly on top of the lowers
• spacing: there should not be gaps between the teeth, they should touch without crowding
• crowding: if the dental ridge does not have room for all of your teeth
• misplaced midline: where the upper two front teeth and lower two front teeth are not in line with one another

How Does Orthodontic Treatment Work?

Your orthodontist will determine if you would be a candidate for fixed or removable ortho therapy. The amount of movement your doctor is looking to achieve will determine which option will be most effective for your individual case.

Fixed Appliance Therapy

• Braces are the most common and widely known fixed appliance. Metal brackets are placed on the front of the teeth using a composite cement and an archwire is threaded through the brackets and is the part that is tightened periodically to place tension on the teeth, shifting them into the desired position. Brackets come in a variety of colors, including clear.
• Palatal expanders are a device placed in the upper arch at the roof of the mouth to widen the arch of the jaw. Screws are used to apply outward pressure to the device and force the bones of the palate to expand.
• Space maintainers are used to hold a space when a baby tooth is prematurely lost to make sure there is space for the adult tooth to erupt into. A band is placed on the tooth neighboring the space and a wire is set across to the tooth on the opposite side to keep the two teeth from shifting in towards each other.

Removable Appliance Therapy

• Clear aligners can be used in lieu of braces, such as Invisalign. A series of clear trays are used to shift the teeth just like braces and are removed for eating and oral hygiene.
• Retainers are usually worn on the upper arch to keep teeth from returning back to their previous position and can be modified for younger patients to prevent thumb sucking.
• Jaw repositioning appliances are worn either on the upper or lower arch to help train the jaw to close to a proper position. They can be used in the treatment of TMJ.
• Headgear is a device that is used to slow the growth of the upper jaw by placing a strap around the head which is attached to a metal wire in the front. The device holds the back teeth in place as the front teeth are pulled back.
• Lip and cheek bumpers are used to relieve pressure applied to the teeth by the facial muscles.
• Night and day guards are devices worn during periods of bruxism, during either waking or sleeping hours.

Your orthodontist will help you determine the best path of treatment once it has been determined that orthodontia would indeed be best for you. Make sure you follow their instructions in the care of your ortho appliance so that you can get the best results possible!

More About Orthodontists : What are Orthodontists?