Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that is responsible for correcting teeth and bones positioned incorrectly or wrongly called “bent”. Generally, dental pieces that are in a bad position or that don’t perform a correct bite are the most likely to be at risk of caries, oral or periodontal diseases, and at the same time, without realizing it, they can generate pain in different parts of the body.
Orthodontic treatments seek to give us good oral health, a smile with an aesthetic appearance and teeth with a greater chance of lasting a lifetime.
How do you know if orthodontics is needed?
The orthodontist is in charge of determining whether or not such treatment is needed, this based on complete dental diagnoses, plaster models of your teeth and dental panoramic plates. To then decide if you are suitable to place the orthodontic treatment.
It’s very likely that orthodontic treatment is needed if you have any of these characteristics:
- The lower parts are extremely forward or the upper parts are far back.
- When closing the bite, the upper teeth are not ahead of the lower ones.
- Some gaps between the teeth as a result of teeth that don’t fill the entire space and are even missing.
- The teeth are too big for the space that the gums offer.
How does orthodontics work?
To carry out orthodontic treatment, different procedures can be followed that are used with different types of structures, fixed and removable, and thus achieve the modification of teeth and jaws. These appliances work by applying force on the teeth.
Fixed appliances include:
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Brackets:
They are the most common fixed devices. They consist of a structure of tubes or bands, wires and brackets. The tubes or bands are attached around the teeth and used as the base of the appliance. The arch wires are passed through the brackets (which are cemented to the tooth) and tied in the bands or tubes.
Adjusting them puts pressure on the teeth to move them to the correct position. This type of orthodontia is adjusted every three weeks or monthly.
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Special devices:
Used to control the consequences of the bad habit of finger sucking. These devices are attached to the teeth by bands or tubes.
Removable appliances include:
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Invisiline:
These make up a modern alternative. They fulfill the same function of the brackets only that they are “invisible” and must be removed to eat, brush and floss.
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Expanders of the palate:
Its function is to widen the arch of the upper jaw. It’s made up of a plastic plate that adapts to the roof of the mouth. It’s placed using screws that exert forces and make the palate widen.
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Removable retainers:
They are used on the upper palate of the mouth, usually avoiding the movement of the dental pieces to the original positions. They are modified to avoid the bad habit of thumb sucking.
It’s of fundamental character that during orthodontic treatment, special attention is paid to oral health; proper brushing of the teeth and cleaning of the orthodontic appliances are carried out.