Dental Problems? 5 Ways Orthodontic Treatments Can Help

We Americans are known around the world for our pursuit of beautiful smiles. At any given moment, an estimated 80% of teenagers in North America are undergoing some type of orthodontic correction. They aren't alone—a quarter of orthodontic patients in this same area are over the age of 18.

The aesthetic benefits of orthodontics are well known, but did you know that orthodontic treatments can help you take care of dental problems, too?

Read on to learn more about how teeth straightening can improve your oral health and what your options are for treatment.

Orthodontia, also known as orthodontics, is the branch of dentistry that focuses on maloccluded (out of position) teeth. The treatments use a continuous application of pressure to align your teeth.

Here are a few of the common dental problems that orthodontic treatments can solve.

1. Gapped Teeth

A gap-tooth grin may be cute on a growing child, but in an age where the airbrushed model is upheld as ideal, many adults find that it lowers

their self-esteem. Along with that, gaps between teeth can lead to speech difficulties and lisps.

Gaps can also cause dental problems like tilted, crooked, or elongated teeth that trap food near the gums. Orthodontic treatment can straighten these teeth and bring them closer together, getting rid of the gap and the problems associated with it.

2. Crowding

Like gapped teeth, crowded teeth are the cause of many people's smile insecurities. Teeth that are too close together are also much harder to keep clean through regular brushing and flossing. Orthodontics can move teeth apart to give them adequate space.

3. Poor Oral Health

As stated earlier, crooked, gapped, and misaligned teeth make it harder to clean your mouth of trapped food and bacteria. This means that you may be at a higher risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Orthodontic treatment is an investment in your oral health and can help you care for your teeth more effectively.

4. Misaligned Bite

The position of your jaw and the alignment of your teeth have a lot to do with each other. In many cases, treating malocclusion can also improve your bite.

If you have an overbite, underbite, or open bite , you may have trouble chewing food and biting the lettuce out of a sandwich. You may also have trouble with TMJ, a condition that causes jaw popping, tightness, and pain.

Orthodontic treatment can correct your bite so that your top and bottom teeth line up with each other. In some cases, this is enough to get rid of jaw pain as well.

5. Teeth Grinding and Chipping

Teeth that aren't in line will hit each other when you chew, often at an angle. This can cause extra wear and tear, chips, or cracks. What's more, the stress on your jaw from crooked teeth and a misaligned bite can lead to teeth grinding.

As orthodontic treatments straighten your teeth and jaw, they can help to prevent future damage from grinding and chipping.

Dentists and orthodontists can take a few different approaches to treat these dental problems. The method you use will depend on your mouth's unique structure and the services your dental provider offers. Here are three of the most common devices used in orthodontic treatment.

Orthodontics Braces

When most people think about orthodontics, braces are the first treatment that comes to mind. Traditional metal braces are permanently affixed to your teeth until removed by an orthodontist. They use a combination of metal brackets, wires, rubber bands, and other appliances to move your teeth into place.

Invisalign Clear Aligner Trays

Metal braces are uncomfortable, obvious, and can be a source of embarrassment for adult patients. Thankfully, clear aligner trays can repair your smile while being virtually unnoticeable to others.

The most well-known brand of clear aligners is Invisalign, meaning "invisible aligner". In this orthodontic system, you'll wear a series of clear plastic trays that fit snugly around your teeth and gently move them into position. While the Invisalign trays are removable, you'll need to keep them in for at least 22 hours per day for the best results.

Retainers

Whether you straighten your teeth with traditional braces or use Invisalign instead, you'll still need a retainer to keep your teeth in line after the treatment ends.

Retainers come in many forms. Most retainers are made of a combination of metal and acrylic. They're removable and are created from a cast of your mouth.

Permanent lingual retainers are small metal wires cemented to the backs of your teeth. Other retainers are made of clear plastic and look just like aligner trays.

Most people with mild to severe malocclusion will qualify for some type of orthodontic treatment. While it's true that school-aged children's teeth tend to move faster and more easily, adults can get braces or clear aligners, too.

Conditions that can disqualify you from orthodontic treatment include periodontal disease, impacted teeth, and severe tooth decay. Your dentist may decide that you can get orthodontic treatment after these problems are taken care of, or they may recommend that you take a different approach to restore your smile.

No matter what route you decide to take for orthodontic treatment, the process will always start with a consultation appointment. Here, your dentist or orthodontist will examine your mouth, take x-rays or other images of your teeth, and sometimes make a mold of your mouth. They'll then determine the best course of treatment based on their findings.

Orthodontic treatment is much more than a cosmetic procedure. It can improve your oral health, reduce future damage to your teeth, and even help eliminate jaw pain.