Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic Treatment
Orthodontic treatment is a way of straightening and moving teeth, improving the appearance and how the teeth work.
An orthodontist is a specialist within dentistry who will treat facial and dental irregularities. Some examples of issues an orthodontist can treat successfully are:
• Overcrowding
  – This is the most common problem specialists treat. Sometimes there is not enough space for adult teeth to erupt in alignment with the teeth that are already there. An orthodontist is able to realign the teeth.

• Underbite or Overbite 
  – An underbite means the lower teeth are positioned further forward than the upper teeth
  – An overbite means the upper teeth are positioned further forward than the lower teeth

If you or your dentist feel you could benefit from orthodontic treatment you can be referred to an orthodontist.
They will firstly do a full examination, assessing the condition of your teeth, dental impressions (moulds) are taken of your teeth to study and dental x-rays are taken so the orthodontist can look at the positions of your teeth.
In order for the teeth to be moved dental braces are placed on the teeth. Braces, for the movement of teeth, are used specifically in orthodontic dentistry. They consist of brackets which are bonded on to the teeth and a metal wire is inserted through the brackets.
The metal wires are tightened and work with the brackets to move the teeth into the desired position. The process of orthodontic treatment needs to be done very slowly in order for it to work effectively, hence the reason why wearing braces can take some time to achieve the finishing results.
Once the braces are taken off, the orthodontist will evaluate the end results by taking more moulds and x-rays of the teeth.
After the orthodontic process dental retainers are then made to keep the newly-positioned teeth from moving again. The two types of retainers used are – removable or fixed. A removable retainer is a clear, plastic, solid tray which can be taken out easily to brush and floss your teeth. However, a fixed retainer is bonded to the back of your teeth which cannot be removed without the use of relevant dental instruments making it less likely to be lost of broken.
Usually retainers are worn for a lifetime to ensure no movement of your teeth, however, as each case is different the orthodontist will recommend how long to wear your retainers for.