Orthodontics, or braces, is a special discipline of dentistry concerned with aligning the teeth and jaws to improve your smile and oral health. Dentists usually recommend braces to improve the patient’s physical “orofacial” appearance. Through orthodontic treatment, problems like crooked or crowded teeth, uneven spacing due to missing teeth, overbites or underbites, incorrect jaw position, and disorders of the jaw joints are corrected.
Patients with orthodontic problems can benefit from treatment at nearly any age even adults. However, the ideal time for placement of braces is between 10 and 14 years of age, while the head and mouth are still growing and teeth are more accessible to straightening. Because any adjustments in facial appearance can be traumatic to a child during these sensitive years, parents should discuss the matter with their children before braces are applied. More and more adults are also wearing braces to correct minor problems and to improve their smiles.
Your dentist will know what’s best for your particular problem, but the patient often has a choice. Braces generally come in three varieties: The most popular type is brackets that are bonded to teeth and are called fixed-orthodontic treatment. The second is the invisible braces such as Invisialign®. The third is removable and functional appliances.
In general, your family general dentist is responsible for coordinating your dental treatment, and this could encompass any orthodontic treatment plan, including diagnosis, examinations, and some orthodontic procedures, or a referral to a specialist. In upcoming issues, I will give more detailed information on braces including typical treatment procedures, the duration of bracing, home care issues with braces, and the currently hot “invisible” braces – Invisalign.
For more information, please call Dr. Sun at 661-799-8800, visit the website of www.DrSunDDS.com , or go to her dental office at 23450 Lyons Avenue, Suite B in Newhall.