If you have a misalignment, it’s essential to get orthodontic treatment to straighten your bite. Options like traditional braces, Invisalign, or a mouthguard will help straighten your teeth or keep them straight.
Orthodontic treatment is complex and requires additional education beyond general dentistry. If you need orthodontic treatment, you might find that a successful treatment plan improves your self-confidence by restoring your beautiful smile.
Though most people think that only kids need to visit an orthodontist, orthodontic treatment and care are essential for many adults as well. Let’s look at some signs dentists look for to find out whether you need orthodontic treatment or don’t:
Teeth crowding
Crooked teeth
Overbite
Underbite
Crossbite
Open bite
Spacing
Impacted teeth
Poor aesthetics
TMJ disorders
Cavities, bad breath, and gum disease
Mouth breathing
Most people believe that the only way to treat misalignment is by wearing braces. But both metal braces and clear aligners such as Invisalign are only two of the many options an orthodontist can provide you with. Let’s look at some other orthodontic treatments.
1. Retainers
After major orthodontic treatment, your orthodontist will prescribe a retainer. A retainer is aimed to keep teeth in their proper position without drifting back into their former spot. Your teeth have a “memory” of where they used to be before being moved. If you’re given a retainer and don’t wear it for the first years after braces or aligners, your teeth will almost certainly move out of place.
The first year after you finish orthodontic treatment, it’s essential to wear a retainer for 22 or more hours each day. After that, nighttime wear is encouraged.
2. Space maintainers
Space maintainers help keep open space between baby teeth large enough for an adult tooth to come in. This is essential since the shifting might result in crowded adult teeth if not treated in time. There are two types of space maintainers: fixed and removable.
Fixed space maintainers are made of metal wires that are similar to braces. They are required to keep the space open, connected to bands on the teeth on either side. A removable space maintainer is made with an acrylic base to sit over the jaw and might also use metal or plastic wires between teeth.
3. Archwires
Archwires are made in the shape of your dental arch and are aimed at correcting tooth position. But you should be aware that many types of archwires are coated with Teflon, which is toxic to the human body. Teflon exposure is related to a number of health consequences including:
Hormone disruption
Thyroid disease
Low birth weight
Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Cancer
Speak with your doctor about using an archwire material with your braces that’s free of Teflon to avoid these issues.
4. Mouthguard
Mouthguards are commonly used to protect teeth from traumatic damage during sports or exercise. It can also help fight clenching, potentially preventing or lowering TMJ pain.
Fitted mouthguards are an essential part of any lifestyle that includes regular exercise or high-intensity sports. Athletes without custom-fitted mouthguards have over five times the dental trauma/injury than people who don’t use a mouthguard.
Keep in mind, you only get one permanent set of teeth. No restoration lasts forever, so protection from damage is the best way to keep your teeth healthy for a long time.
5. Clear aligners
Clear aligners are a removable appliance that solves the problems of traditional braces. Clear aligners work by using detailed scans of your teeth to determine a desired final result, then making aligners that gently move your teeth one week at a time. Each week, your teeth are moved more and more by the slightly differently shaped aligner.
Clear aligners are removable, more aesthetically pleasing, don’t leave white calcifications once removed, rarely contribute to significant pain, and can correct almost any problem metal braces can.
