Importance of Orthodontics in Dentistry

There are many facets of dental care. All of them are important because they cater to the specific oral needs of patients. Of the many facets, one of the most important ones is orthodontics. Many parents have interacted with this arm of dentistry when caring for their teenagers’ teeth. If you are still in the dark about orthodontics, here are some of the most important things you should know.

What Is Orthodontics?

It is a branch of dentistry that specializes in the correct positioning of teeth. It is the process of realigning teeth in the mouth to improve both the functionality and appearance of teeth. The main components of a tooth consist of the root and the crown. The way these parts of a tooth sit in the mouth can have consequences on the oral health of a patient.

When you lose your baby teeth, adult teeth grow to replace them. The thing about these new sets of teeth is that they are bigger than the milk teeth. This means that it is not every day that adult teeth will grow exactly how you want them to. This is what causes an orthodontic challenge.

Who Needs Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is a treatment offered only on a need basis. It is not a cosmetic treatment, rather a restorative one. However, it does have cosmetic implications on your smile.

People start benefiting from orthodontics at teenage hood. However, it is not always that parents will be proactive to get their teenagers through the treatment. This is why adults too are big beneficiaries of orthodontic treatment for adults.

How Does Orthodontics Work?

The treatment focuses on applying controlled pressure on teeth to institute the movement of teeth from one position to another. An orthodontist is often the one in charge of your treatment. He/she examines your teeth to determine which ones require positioning.

What happens is that different appliances are employed to make the movements possible. The appliances are the ones that put pressure on teeth and cause the movement. Some of the tools and appliances of orthodontics include the following:

What Are the Benefits of Orthodontics?

Knowing all that about orthodontics, you still do not have enough to convince you on why you need the treatment. The following benefits, however, should help you decide on booking an appointment with us to correct your dental formula:

• Improved oral hygiene – very few appreciate the advantages of straight teeth when it comes to oral hygiene. It is hard enough that you have to properly clean the depressions on your teeth and in between. Having to clean teeth that have overlapped is overwhelming. It is next to impossible to clean the surfaces of all your teeth when some of them are lying in the shadow of others. This creates many opportunities for plaque to build-up, which results in other oral problems like tooth decay and dental cavities. Besides, the last thing you want is to spend the rest of your life with bad breath because of crooked teeth.
• Cosmetic advantage – whether you acknowledge it or not, teeth look better when they are properly aligned. Your smile will improve drastically once your teeth have been corrected to sit in the correct position.
• Corrected bite – misalignment of teeth does not just cause a cosmetic concern. The mispositioning affects your bite. Some patients have an under bite, others and overbite, and others a cross bite. All these affect the effective functionality of your mouth. You also experience other problems like biting your cheeks and lips all the time.
• Healthy gums – the crookedness of teeth can take a toll on the gum tissue. Part of your gums may have to make room for more than they should. This not only over-stretch your gum tissue but also can cause receding. Orthodontics will improve the positioning of your teeth and relieve your gums off of some of the pressure.
• Boosted confidence levels – with a beautiful smile, you feel empowered to conquer the world. The aesthetic elevation that results from the realignment treatment will boost your confidence levels significantly. Further, since you can better take care of your oral hygiene, your bad breath days will be as good as gone and forgotten.