Getting braces is a decision that is faced by most people at sometime in their life. While some are lucky enough to have straight teeth through genetics and luck, the rest of us will commit to modern orthodontics to get the smile we want.
Studies show that 75 percent of Americans suffer from malocclusion (literally “bad bite”) and could benefit from orthodontic treatment. Orthodontics not only improves appearance, but makes teeth easier to clean, prevents uneven wear on teeth, reduces stress on bones and gums, and can prevent headaches and jaw pain due to poor alignment.
Orthodontics can improve a person’s self-image and boost self-esteem through better esthetics and a more attractive smile. Not only can orthodontic treatment benefit social and career success, it can also improve a person’s general outlook on life.
Prevent tooth problems
But improved esthetics is not the only reason to seek orthodontic treatment. Crooked and crowded teeth are difficult to clean and maintain. Alignment of the teeth can help alleviate or prevent such problems as tooth decay, gum disease, bone destruction and eventual tooth loss.
An improper bite can contribute to chewing difficulties, abnormal wear of tooth surfaces and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Left untreated, these orthodontic problems may become worse and more difficult to correct.
While healthy teeth can be moved at almost any age, there are some important benefits of early treatment. It is recommended that all children have an orthodontic evaluation no later than age 7. This early visit allows the dentist to:
- advise parents whether or not orthodontic treatment is indicated
- recommend the most suitable type of treatment for the child
- determine the most appropriate time to begin such treatment
While some orthodontic problems are best treated early, others should be deferred until more permanent teeth are in place.
Early orthodontic treatment (which may include special appliances and/or partial braces) can be beneficial in many ways:
- guide incoming permanent teeth into desirable positions
- improve the width of the upper and lower dental arches
- decrease risk of trauma (accidents) to protruded front teeth
- correct harmful oral habits such as thumb- or finger-sucking
- reduce or eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems
- improve personal appearance and self-esteem
- potentially simplify and/or shorten treatment time for later corrective orthodontics
- reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth
- guide jaw growth
Aproximately 1 out of 5 orthodontic patients in the US is an adult. It is never too late to consider braces.
Is There an Alternative to Conventional Wire Braces?
Wire braces are not always required to treat orthodontic conditions. Clear aligners such as Invisalign and Clear Correct can be worn over the teeth to correct crowding and spaces between teeth. These tooth aligners are clear and practically unnoticeable to others. This can be a great way to achieve the smile you desire, without the esthetic concerns of wearing traditional wire braces.
The dentists at Family Dentistry of Texoma are qualified to treat all orthodontic situations. This is accomplished by a lifetime commitment to extensive training programs which give general dentists the confidence and ability to treat these conditions.