orthodonticsjournal.net

Ceramic braces? Invisalign? Traditional metal? Golden metal? Self-ligating brackets? Viazis Brackets? What about Lingual braces? These days, there are many choices available to adults, and it gets confusing! Which type of braces should you choose? Can you choose, or is it strictly up to your dentist? These questions come up time and again in our Metal Mouth Message Board.

Read the rest of this entry »

Only your dentist or orthodontist can determine whether you can benefit from orthodontics. Based on diagnostic tools that include a full medical and dental health history, a clinical exam, plaster models of your teeth, and special X-rays and photographs, an orthodontist or dentist can decide whether orthodontics are recommended, and develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.

If you have any of the following, you may be a candidate for orthodontic treatment: Read the rest of this entry »

Years ago, dental braces were used only for pre-teens and teens having problems with their bite (malocclusion). Today, orthodontic treatments are not only for pre-teens and teens, but for adults as well.

Close to 30% of all orthodontic patients in the United States are adults. Despite this growing trend towards adult orthodontics, it pays to start orthodontic treatment early for maximum effectiveness. The American Dental Association recommends that children receive an orthodontic evaluation by age seven.

Read the rest of this entry »

Many people ask the question of what is the right age before one can start undergoing orthodontic procedures. It is a general consensus among dental practitioners that the best time is when the body has finished developing all it’s organs.

The good things about starting at this stage is that the teeth particularly, are easier to correct, and if one would have braces installed at this time, it would take a significantly shorter time for the alignment to be corrected compared to if he or she would have had it done later in his or her life. Catching any dental problems early lead to better and healthier teeth as a person grows older. Bad dental habits can also be corrected at once, preventing lasting and more extensive damage, while good habits will be easier to learn, with benefits in the long term.

Most people fail to realize that their teeth serve more than a beauty aid and serves a very important purpose. Bedsides grinding food and biting your favorite snack, it is a reflection of your overall health for a healthy set of teeth means less tooth decay and less chances of bad breath. Being able to chew food properly and efficiently is the making of a good and sound body. Crooked teeth in younger life, left uncorrected will lead to more chances of cavities due to hidden nooks and crannies that are unreachable by brushing alone.
Have your teeth checked at least twice a year so problems are stemmed as they develop. A child should be taken in for dental exams at age seven when their teeth have become more solid and established to proper framework for their permanent teeth are laid and watched properly. Any problems with the bit can also be corrected with self litigating expanders that adjusts the gap between the teeth pushing the jaw bones apart to make a perfect fit. Good health is in your teeth, so go to your dentist for regular check-ups and cleaning for a healthier

Many have heard of the Invisalign System of braces which is one of the most revolutionary teeth alignment systems around. As the name implies, it is virtually invisible making it less obtrusive to the wearer making it the ideal choice for adults who live active lives. Nobody wants unsightly metal braces more than professionals in the office who want better smiles yet shun the metal-mouth approach. It isn’t for everybody though and only licensed and accredited orthodontists can prescribe them for use.
Using advanced 3D imaging, the system allows the making of these marvelous invisible braces that can be removed for normal brushing and flossing that is quite difficult with traditional metal braces. Going to the ball or some other function, simply pop it off and store it in your purse for that unimpeded smile people so love.
The system is worn for two weeks or more depending on the adjustments desired and new ones that have been adjusted can be prescribed for more changes should they be desired. It has revolutionized the way we make our teeth looking better resulting in better smiles that is for the whole world to see.

Image Source: bytesdental.com.au

Another cause of diastema is when people have congenitally missing teeth(lateral incisors). If the latter did not develop, the space permits the front teeth to separate and create a diastema. If you do not have these teeth, there are different choices to replace the teeth like dental implants, bridgework and orthodontic treatment that gradually moves the eye teeth to where it should be positioned. Your orthodontist will examine and evaluate your case then decide the kind of treatment that is best for you. Typically, the first step an orthodontist does is to take impressions of your teeth to make casts, do a thorough clinical examination, take a set of facial and dental pictures and radiographs with panoramic and side head views.

Image Source:dixiehealth.com

Researchers in University of Florida are testing the power of a natural human hormone to biochemically move teeth faster and less painfully during orthodontic treatment – making braces for adults much more practical. The hormone that helps women’s pelvic ligaments stretch during pregnancy, in preparation for giving is best known as relaxin. It works by softening collagen and elastin in the tissues. It loosens the strong, cord-like fibers until they are super-pliable. This ability lead researchers to consider relaxin a possible way to accelerate tooth movement and prevent relapse, a condition where the tooth migrates back to its original position after braces are removed.

Image source: www.suresmile.com
I should’ve waited for this. There is a new invention in town of orthodontics. It’s OraMetrix’s SureSmile. SureSmile reduces the time to make your teeth straight up to 6 months or a year only, not just like ordinary braces that takes a year or two. According to company CEO Charles Abraham, OraMetrix’s SureSmile combines digital 3-D imaging, computer-aided treatment planning and customized archwires to unbend teeth about 40% faster than traditional braces. Another advantage of OraMetrix’s SureSmile is that it will make you visit less, thus giving you less discomfort. SureSmile use an OraScanner, a video camera-like gadget that maps the path of each patient’s tooth movement when treatment begins. That allows the dentist to create a plan based off a 3D computer model. Traditionally, a plaster model and 2D X-rays have been used to create a treatment arrangement. Since this treatment is fast, it also is expensive, but those who had undergone the process said that its worth it.

Jalyn Jones might be in pain, but she’s not sure.Jones, 19, was born with hemifacial microsomia, a deformity in which the lower half of one side of the face does not fully develop. Doctors tell her she should be in pain. Maybe she is. After five surgeries, the St. Charles teen said she has built such a high tolerance for pain that it just feels normal.She was still a baby when surgeons closed a hole on the right side of her face and reconstructed her ear. At 5 years old, she developed severe sinus problems. Jones vomited every morning for nine years and suffered constant headaches.At age 14, doctors broke her malformed jaw in three places and restructured the roof of her mouth. The surgery relieved the sinus trouble, but the headaches persist.Hemifacial microsomia is the second most common facial birth defect after cleft lips and palates.Continue reading from:�stcharlesjournal.stltoday.comBy�Raymond Castile�