Orthodontics

orthodontics

Orthodontics is a specialized field of dentistry that focuses on the treatment of misaligned teeth due to tooth irregularities, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both.

Orthodontics deals with simple dental displacement to realign irregular teeth or can focus on more complex procedures involving the control and modification of facial growth to restore the misaligned teeth.

Simple orthodontics is commonly used in modern times to improve the appearance of teeth through the use of braces. Braces are of two types and the treatment period involving the braces will depend on a number of factors that we at DDCRC will determine and discuss with our clients.

(Click on the questions below to view the answers)

Who are candidates for orthodontic (braces) treatments?

Orthodontic treatment has gained momentum over the last two decades, becoming a common treatment for preteens and teens; ideal candidates as their growing facial structures can aid in the treatment without much intervention from the dentist. Good oral hygiene is imperative during the treatment and therefore must be taken into account prior and during any treatment involving braces.

Accumulation of plaque and tartar inhibit the gums and orthodontic treatments could become compromised.

The treatment planning and execution various, but there are a few primary steps such as determination of the nature of the misalignment and understanding its various characteristics, defining the problem and designing the treatment such that it suits the individuals needs both physical and emotional.

DDCRC dentists always put their client’s interests first, allowing us to create unique solutions for all orthodontic problems in a manner that brings about great efficiency and comfort.

How do I know that my or my Child's Bite/ smile needs Orthodontic treatment?

Few of the signs that should set the alarm bells ringing in your mind are:

Early or Delayed loss of milk teeth
Permanent teeth erupting behind milk teeth or double teeth
Crowding, Spacing or Zig Zag pattern of teeth
Frequent instances of cheek bite or your lower front teeth hurting your palate i.e. roof of the mouth
Space between the upper and lower teeth on biting or You cannot make a bite in pizza with your front teeth
Protuding or big front teeth that are not in proportion to your face
Children having habit of thumb/ finger sucking or bottle feeding beyond the age of 6
Submerged or blocked teeth due to lack of space
Chin is very protuding giving you a older look or it is very small giving you a bird like face
Teeth most often the canine teeth at corner of mouth erupting high in gums
Clicking sound on opening and closing of mouth
You shows too much gums on smiling i.e. gummy smile

Why should I get my teeth straightened at the earliest?

Few of the benefits are:

Smile: Straight teeth in a perfect curve gives you the most sought Smile. It adds value to your Personality, builds your Confidence, Remove your hesitance to speak and/ or laugh whole heartily in public functions or get together.

Health: Chewing is the 1st phase of making the food easy on your digestive system, taking maximum benefits of what you eat and most important to enjoy the taste. Crooked teeth decrease your efficiency of chewing and indirectly your health. A good bite is must for good body.

Avoid dental problems: More food get stuck in between Zig zag teeth that increases the chance of developing cavities, Periodontal disease in future. Stuck food also get rotten after some time giving bad smell to your breathe. A good bite helps you to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy with routine oral hygiene maintaining tips.

Avoid developing breathing problem: A bad bite may be associated with deep palate or high roof of your mouth. Deep palate decreases the nasal space making you snore loudly or sometimes more severe problem of Sleep apnea.

Along with the above mentioned benefits of good bite/ smile, few of the advantages in seeking orthodontic treatment at the earliest are:

Easy to guide the growth of young bones, reduces the severity of bad bite/ smile later in life
Easy to guide erupting teeth in proper position
Easy to control the bad habits as thumb sucking and preventing the damage done to bite/smile
Easy to expand the jaw bones if required
Prevent the space loss due to early loss of milk teeth with the use of space maintainers
Gives an opportunity to make a lot of changes if required as in Adults we always have restrictions in terms of force applied and the amount of teeth shift that can be done.

Are Braces must and how much time and money does it cost?

No, Braces is an elective procedure like most of the treatment in Dentistry. But as answered before, it can give you a lot of benefits in long term in terms of Money, Mind and Smile.

Time taken to correct one's bite depends alot on the Severity of malocclusion and the expected final result to be achieved. On a wider scale it can take anywhere between 1 year to 3 year. You may or may not having braces on your teeth all the time as the line of treatment may need interceptive orthodontic treatment and also time & type of retainers.

Money: There is no ball park figure for Orthodontic treatment. The fees for an Intial Consultation is Minimal. You will be explained the net amount it is going to cost entotal with various options. The fees depends on many factors like severity of malocclusion, Line of treatment, Time taken for full treatment, any appliance used during the treatment. Well timed Orthodontic treatment is often less costly than the additional dental treatment required for the dental disease developed over a period of time due to Bad bite/ smile.

Dos and Don'ts with braces on teeth?

After getting the braces on your teeth, you need to follow certain precaution.

Do's:

Brush your teeth 2 times a day, preferably with orthodontic toothbrush
Use fluoridated mouthwash before going to bed
Eat a healthy diet
Keep your next appointment

Don'ts:

Eat hard candies, sticky food, chewing gum that can break or bend the wire
Bite in raw fruits like apple, carrots etc.
Engage in fight with your friends as blow to your face can bruise your cheeks due to braces
Engage in sports like boxing, wrestling etc.
Be Demotivated with a little pain and discomfort in the starting.

How does Orthodontics or braces work?

Orthodontics works on the simple principle that slow forces applied over a period of time brings about a predictable change in the structure of bone and position of teeth. Basically there would be either lack of space or there is excess of space that respectively cause Crowding or Spacing in the permanent teeth. You may be advised to get few teeth Extracted in case there is severe deficiency of space and there is no way we can get the protuding teeth back without making some space. The various methods to set the teeth in perfect arch are:

Interceptive Orthodontics: If we can visualize a problem early in life by the age of 7-9 year, an early phase of orthodontics is advised where we try to channelize the growth of jaw bones in such a way that we have a less traumatic or basically only dental problem that needs to be tackled at later stage. As mentioned before if we delayed the treatment, Skeltal or bone discrepancy limits the final result with braces or we may have to seek surgical options. The various methods include head bows, Twin blocks etc.
Serial extraction: This is also a part of Interceptive Orthodontics. It is recommended, When there is evident lack of space for all permanent teeth and the permanent teeth are erupting eccentrically. One may be having the milk teeth although the permanent teeth are erupting. In such cases after detailed investigation, child may be recommended to get few milk teeth extracted in particular sequence and also 2-4 permanent teeth, so that there is enough space for rest of the permanent teeth and the Time, efforts to align them becomes a lot more easy.
Habit Breaking appliance: If the child has some habits as Thumb sucking, Lip biting, Tongue thrusting; before going for full fledged Orthodontic treatment, a habit breaking appliance is recommended to stop the habit. This make the final orthodontic treatment much faster and result oriented and the final result are more stable.
Removable Orthodontics: You may have seen children removing the orthodontic plates before eating their food. This is one of the modality of correcting the misplaced teeth in proper arch form. As it depends a lot on the compliance of the child, results are much more slower but this is economical than the fixed orthodontics/ braces.
Fixed Orthodontics/ Braces: This is the most popular and most successful way of treating malocclusion or crooked bite/ smile. Every one knows Braces, the tiny metal devices stuck to one's teeth. Although there are lot of systems in this category, we use Edgewise or Straight Wire Technique. This proved to be more Comfortable for the patient; Results are more Controlled, Predictable and Faster.
- Types of Brackets:There are 2 main options of having either metal brackets or you can have more Esthetic, invisible Ceramic Brackets. Ceramic brackets are clear brackets and are not very evident as you smile, Saving you from that Metal in Mouth feeling.
- Colored Braces: If you have seen a lot of colors in your friends mouth, that is the color of module used to keep the wire in place. You can choose from a range of colors, if you want that.
- Lingual Braces: This is reinvented technology, where the brackets are placed on the inner surface of teeth, virtually making them invisible to other people. It is mostly recommended for Adult working Professionals.
Retainers: These are the last but most important step in your orthodontic treatment because it insures that you donot have a relapse of what we had corrected over a period of time. Nobody like a change, So does your body. Retainers are given to be worn full time for a certain period and then discarded gradually. These are to make the teeth more stable at their final position, to make the bone hold on your teeth stronger. Some times We may advise Fixed retention in which a set of teeth are Bonded together at the back, so that these does not shift apart and you are saved from wearing full mouth retainer appliance.

What are the Instructions and Precautions?

Eating:

For the first few days, stick to soft foods.
Avoid fibrous meat; hard nuts or snacks; crunchy food; sticky caramel or chewing gum; biting in to corn on cob, fruits, sandwiches; etc.

General Soreness:

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash.
Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.
The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!

Loosening of Teeth:

This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. The teeth will again become rigidly fixed in their new – corrected – positions.

Care of Appliances:

To successfully complete the treatment plan, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands, headgear or other appliances as prescribed. Damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time.

Brushing:

It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy after orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment.

Retainer Instructions:

Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
Take your retainers out when eating... and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.:)
Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing.
When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them faster.
Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, or your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
Retainer replacement is expensive... with proper care they will last for years!
Remove retainers when swimming.
Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.

Removable Expander Instructions:

Wear your expander all the time. That means all day, during meals, and while sleeping.
Remove your expander only to brush your teeth. Brush your expander at least twice a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Fixed Expander Instructions:

Turn your expansion screws as instructed. Insert the key into the hole and turn toward the arrow.
If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, stop turning the expander.

Athletics:

If you play sports, it's important that you consult us for special precautions. A protective mouthguard is advised for playing contact sports. In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately.
If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone at once for an appointment. In the meantime, treat your discomfort as you would treat any general soreness.

Loose Wire or Band:

Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back of spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way.
If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair the appliances. If any piece comes off, save it and bring it with you to the office.

Emergency Care:

As a general rule, an emergency appointment may be made when there is severe pain, a loose band, a broken wire or something sticking out that you can't take care of.
It's important to know the names of the parts of your appliances. It will help, when you phone the office, to be able to identify what part is broken or out of place. Twin Blocks should only be taken out for cleaning. Clean after every meal, as food will collect under the appliances.
Scrub thoroughly with a toothbrush and toothpaste, then rinse with cool water.
Remove and insert the Twin Blocks by using the acrylic, NOT the wires, to dislodge the appliance.
Adjustment of expansion screws, strictly as per the instructions.
Avoid chewing gums and sticky, sweet food that can stick to appliance or increase the chances of developing cavities.
Keep your next appointment.

Durga Dental Care & Research Centre