Orthodontics in child and adulthood

Aesthetics or health?

Patients tend to ask this question while sitting in the dentist’s chair and orthodontics is one of the treatments that might improve both.

It doesn’t matter if the health of teeth is more important for dentists and no matter if the majority of patients favor beauty, we might struggle with irregular teeth in both fields.

Wrongly positioned masticatory organs might not only cause inconvenience because they are not beautiful but also because they are hard to clean and all this might lead to tooth loss.

If we correct the teeth position on time, we may stop harmful processes that would embitter our lives later on.

What problems might crooked teeth create?

A lot of patients is surprised by the fact that the biggest problem about crooked teeth is not the less aesthetic smile but the malocclusion and its related problems (chewing difficulty and speech disorder).

Mouth breathing and thumb sucking in case of young children is harmful for the teeth since they badly influence the position of the masticatory organs.

While thumbsucking, the hand is continuously pressing the teeth which might lead to having an open bite.

Another problem may be when primary teeth need to be extracted too early (e.g. when bacteria easily proliferate in the dry mouth). Such incidents cause disturbances in the “forest”, namely in the system of tooth eruption.

Irregularity also makes oral care more difficult. It’s much more complicated to clean teeth that are too close to each other, since there’s not enough space for the dental floss to fit in. Leftover food particles easily stuck here and it’s harder to clean it at the same time. Thus, tooth cavity and periodontal disease is more common and because of proximity, several teeth are concerned.

When is it necessary to take our child to an orthodontist?

During the development of primary teeth, their position in the mouth is already clearly visible. Since the distance between the teeth is also easy to see, we can find out if the permanent teeth will fit in later on.

It’s worth visiting a dentist in the beginning of teeth eruption (even at the age of 5 or 6) so that he/she check and deliver an opinion on the condition of the teeth. When jawbones are still increasing, it’s much more easier to gain space for the new, future teeth. In case of adult orthodontics, it takes much more time to readjust crooked teeth.

It’s important to know that in childhood, the regulation and the directional growth of the teeth is essential. The fact that the set of teeth will be more beautiful in the readjusted jawbone is secondary. 

Adult orthodontics - can it be effective?

The answer is easy: Yes.

Naturally, the misalignment of certain teeth can be treated the same way if you’re an adult. Crooked and protruding teeth can properly be directed back into the arch of the teeth. Your smile will be more aesthetic and cleaning will be easier.

There’s no need to worry about success - although as we mentioned above, the procedure takes much more time and patience than in childhood.

You shouldn’t be afraid of this, since the only thing that matters is the RESULT.

The aesthetic, smooth teeth which is not only beautiful but also healthy at the same time.

Braces, correction possibilities

The essence od orthodontics is that the braces put continuous pressure on the teeth. This induces bone remodeling in the bone tissues around the teeth - thus, the tooth will move towards the desired direction.

While taking the age of the patient and the deformity rate into consideration, the dentist determines the type of the orthodontic instrument that the patient should wear.

The installed instrument requires regular readjustment. The whole treatment lasts for 1-2 years but the exact time interval is determined by the condition of the patient’s teeth.

Removable braces

The advantage of removable braces is the fact that they don’t need to be kept in your mouth all day long. You can remove them when you eat or when you’re in school or at work. Patients use them in the afternoon and during the night at least 12 hours a day.

Since these braces are non-permanent, we can only treat minor defects and irregularities with them.

Orthodontic expanders

This instrument is used to treat dental arch stenosis. If new teeth are disproportionately large compared to primary teeth, it will be hard for them to fit in the jawbone - thus, expansion is necessary.

Functional appliances

When used during childhood, these appliances utilize the muscle action of the patient to produce orthodontic forces. This procedure guides the augmentation of jawbone and teeth in the right direction. 

Fixed orthodontic instruments

Fixed braces are glued on the teeth - thus, the appliance is fixed in the mouth and this way, the adjustment is continuous. With these instruments, we can make corrections that would be impossible with removable braces.

When it comes to children, orthodontists tend to dismiss removable braces after the tooth eruption stage and they rather use fixed instruments in order to achieve more accurate final results.

Invisible braces

The appliance that is fastened to the inside arch of the teeth makes correction on the full or the on partial dental arch. Its big advantage is that it imperceptibly guides the teeth in place.

Disadvantages:

• the appliance might irritate the tongue during habituation time,
• harder to clean,
• requires more time for an efficient work compared to traditional fixed appliances.
  

Fixed appliances

In this case, teeth are guided by an ‘intelligent’ archwire which is connected to the teeth by brackets.

These brackets are glued on the teeth. Besides traditional metal braces, other types with porcelain, transparent, and coloured brackets are already available.

There are traditional and self-ligating types as well - the advantage of the latter is that they gently move the teeth.

Micro implants

Micro implants are used in partial orthodontic treatments or with fixed instruments. Its advantage is that even a single protruding tooth can be redirected to the perfect position with it.

No matter which type of resolution we’re talking about, the necessity of an orthodontic treatment is always determined by the orthodontist.

The given therapy is planned after a thorough medical examination, the whole process requires complete medical monitoring. Orthodontics is a circuitous procedure that requires a high degree of patience but the result is a lifelong, brilliant smile. It’s worth it!