Below are the some of the FAQs about Orthodontics and Orthodontic Treatment:

What is orthodontics?

Orthodontics is branch of dentistry, which has for its purpose to treat any type of malocclusion, which is nothing but crooked or irregular teeth or bad bite.

Malocclusion simply means that your teeth, lips and/or jaws don’t line up the way they should. As a result your teeth may be crooked, your bite may not work correctly and your jaws may look unbalanced.

Who is an Orthodontist?

An orthodontist is a specialist in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental & facial irregularities. All orthodontists are dentist but only few percent of dentists are orthodontist. Orthodontists are specially trained to use braces and other corrective procedures including materials & things often called “appliances” to achieve tooth & jaw alignment. This correction of the teeth and their supportive structures makes for a healthy, attractive smile.

What causes orthodontic problems?

Most orthodontic problems like crowding, spacing, protrusion, extra or missing teeth & some jaw growth problems are inherited or in other words genetic in origin.

There are other problems, which are acquired in nature. They can be caused by thumb or finger sucking, mouth breathing, dental disease, abnormal swallowing, poor dental hygiene, too early or late loss of baby (milk) teeth, loss of permanent teeth, accidents, poor nutrition, or some medical problems.

Why is treatment all the more important?

Crooked, crowded & irregular teeth are hard to clean & maintain. These problems can contribute to tooth decay, gum disease & tooth loss. A bad bite can also cause abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, difficulty in chewing and/or speaking (seen less often), excess stress on supporting bone & gum tissue, and possible jaw joint problems.

Then psychologically, an unattractive smile makes you feel less confident in the way you look, your self-esteem suffers.  Children & adults whose malocclusion are left untreated may go through life feeling self conscious, hiding their smiles with tight lips or keeping a protective hand.

Why should An orthodontic check up be no later than age 7?

When you think of orthodontics you tend to think of teenagers. And the fact is most orthodontic treatment begins between the ages of 9 to 14, however by age 7, most children have a mix of adult & baby teeth. Orthodontist can spot subtle problem with jaw growth & emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present. It is important for the parents to know that some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they are found early.

What if there is a Problem?

Even if a problem is detected, immediate treatment may not be recommended. Chances are, your doctor will take a wait & see approach checking on your child from time to time as permanent teeth replaces milk ones and face continues to grow.

In some cases your doctor might find a problem that can benefit form early treatment. Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing, and make treatment at a late age shorter & less complicated.

What if my child is older?

Even if your child is older, it is important to have an orthodontic check up as soon as possible. In most cases treatment is started between ages 9 & 14.  Of course, every case is different. But generally speaking, because children are still growing, this age range is optimal for achieving the best possible results from orthodontic treatment. It’s never too late TO GET STARTED. The key is healthy teeth, bones and gums if present responds well to orthodontic treatment at almost any age. So, Age is no Bar for orthodontic treatment.

What does treatment involve?

Typically treatment involves the use of orthodontic appliance, which can be a removable type (can be removed by patient) or a fixed one (cannot be removed by patient).

More than the appliances orthodontic treatment involves the patient. To achieve the desired and best possible result the patient must diligently follow the orthodontist’s instruction about wearing orthodontic appliance and practices good dental hygiene. With braces certain foods like peanuts, hard & sticky things, caramels and bubble gum are not advisable.

Do I have a choice in choosing the appliance?

The orthodontist provides you with custom-made braces, retainers or other corrective appliances according to the problem being treated. The appliance can be removable one or a fixed one, if a fixed one, it can be of   metal (usually) ceramic or plastic (tooth coloured) or invisible braces (lingual orthodontics). Patient can have choice of choosing from fixed one but not from removable or fixed.

What do these appliances do?

Whatever the appliance, all have common purpose to use gentle pressure to move teeth and jaw into their proper positions. Movement of the teeth/jaws to desired positions take places gradually and slowly.

How long does treatment take?

Although every case is different, generally speaking patient wear braces for 1-11/2 years but in some cases it may extend up 2-3 years. Treatment times vary with factors that include the severity of problem being corrected him and how  well the patient follow the orthodontist’s  instructions.

After the braces are removed, most patient wear retainers for some time to keep or “retain” the teeth in their new positions. The orthodontist will determine how long the retainers need to be worn.

Does orthodontic treatment have any harmful effect?           

There is slight amount of discomfort/pain in teeth after fixing braces, which usually subsides with in one week. The myth that orthodontic treatment weakens the teeth is not correct.

Is extraction of teeth necessary for orthodontic treatment?

It depends upon severity of problem. Severely crowded, irregular teeth, which are out of alignment, cannot be aligned without extraction of teeth. Further there is no harmful effect after extraction of teeth and no residual spaces are left after treatment.

When we talk about orthodontics most people or public at large seems to know about it or all least heard of this. Especially people in urban areas are more aware about orthodontic treatment since every one is aware of his/her own smile or at least of their children. But most people do not know what is the right time/age for this treatment, which is a   major factor in providing retention & stability to achieved results. No doubt the treatment can be done during at almost any age provided the gums/periodontal condition of teeth is reasonably good. In this above context simply knowing that what is orthodontic treatment may not be sufficient but of equally important significance is the fact that it should be done at right time/age so that retention and stability does not pose major problems.