Is the reason behind Dental Braces treatment purely cosmetic?
No, that’s a common misconception. Orthodontic treatment helps in boosting a person’s self-esteem & image as the teeth, jaws and lips become properly aligned, but an attractive smile is not the benefit we achieve from Dental Braces treatment.
The alleviation or prevention physical health problems are just as important. Without treatment, orthodontic problems may lead to tooth decay, dental carries, gum disease, bone destruction and chewing and digestive difficulties.
A “bad bite” can contribute to speech impairments, tooth loss, chipped teeth and other dental injuries – like lip biting and tongue bite as well…..
Main cause for “bad bite”
Inheritance plays a major cause for orthodontic problems including tooth size — jaw size discrepancies, which leads to crowding of teeth or spacing of teeth.
Bad bites relating to — Overbites, under bites, extra or missing teeth, irregularities of the jaws, teeth, face also have an inheritance pattern.
Other orthodontic problems can be caused from accidents, pacifier or bad habits like thumb sucking, dental disease, or the premature loss of either the primary or permanent teeth.
What is the Ideal age to start Braces treatment?
The best age to do the orthodontic treatment is when you are twelve to thirteen years of age as all the permanent teeth have usually erupted by this stage. The jaws are growing at this age and so it is easier to expand your jaws and reshape your mouth.
However, it may be worth seeking dental advice even earlier. By the age of seven to eight years, enough permanent teeth have come in and enough jaw growth has occurred that the dentist or orthodontist can identify current problems, anticipate future problems or alleviate parents’ concerns if all seems normal.
For those patients who have clear indications for early orthodontic intervention, early treatment presents an opportunity :
- To guide the growth of the jaw to proper shape.
- To regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches
- To guide incoming permanent teeth into proper new positions
- To lower risk of accidental damage to protruded or retruded — upper incisors (front teeth)
- To correct harmful oral habits such as thumb sucking – tongue thrusting.
- help to reduce or eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems
- Improve personal appearance and self-esteem
- To recognize upcoming problems at an early stage and potentially simplify any procedures that may be required in the future
- Reduces the likelihood for getting impacted permanent teeth (teeth that should have come in, but have not)
- To preserve or gain space for permanent teeth that are coming in the jaw bone.
How do I know that my child is a candidate for early orthodontic treatment or not ?
Make it a habit to visit your dentist once in every six months time – if they see any problem that may arise they will advise you to start the braces treatment at the earliest…. However, there are many signs or habits which you may be able to recognize yourself.
- early or late loss of primary / baby teeth
- difficulty in chewing or biting
- mouth breathing
- thumb sucking
- finger sucking
- crowding, misplaced or blocked out teeth
- jaws that shift or make sounds
- biting the cheek or roof of the mouth
- teeth that meet abnormally or not at all
- jaws and teeth that are out of proportion to the rest of the face
Am I too old for orthodontic treatment?
There are no age limits for Dental Braces treatment! Orthodontic treatment can easily be done at an older age as well, if your dental and gingival health is good. Many people were not able to get their teeth aligned when they were young. Either their parents could not afford braces, or their teeth could not been able to straighten with the techniques that were there 40 years ago. Most adult’s patients get orthodontic treatment because they realize that taking care of their smile is part of taking care of themselves.
Other patients which opt for Adult orthodontic treatment are those, who had their orthodontic treatment when they were young, but they did not wear their retainers until they stopped growing (you should wear your retainer until you are 24). The result is that — their teeth have gone a little bit crooked now. Now they are unhappy with their smile so they get braces treatment.
If i am too self conscious to wear braces. Are there any treatment alternatives for me?
Today, a greater premium is placed upon personal appearance than ever before. Many patients feel that visible appliances on their teeth would hinder them greatly in reaching their professional and personal goals. For the many adults seeking healthier, more attractive smiles, we at Delhi Dental Center offer them — Aligner Treatment to get their teeth aligned.
