A Quick Guide To Orthodontic Treatment
While many people may be familiar with the concept of orthodontic treatment, if you haven't had first-hand experience, it is likely you have never needed to know the basics. Not to mention, things have probably changed quite a bit since many of our own personal encounters with orthodontics. Currently in the USA, over 4 million people wear braces. Whether you are about to go through treatment yourself or are researching for a family member or kiddo, here’s a breakdown of the basics of orthodontic treatment and some of the options available today.
What Is The Aim?
With general dentistry the overall aim is to prevent tooth decay and maintain proper oral hygiene, but orthodontics differs slightly. Certainly, maintaining good oral hygiene factors into orthodontic treatment, but one of the main aims is to straighten teeth.
As we grow, our teeth change in shape and size, and sometimes during the growth period, our teeth can grow in crooked directions. Everyone's oral health is different and while some people may suffer from overcrowding or extra teeth, others may experience large gaps between teeth. This is where orthodontic treatment comes in.
It's also worth thinking about the age you should have braces will be completely dependent on the stage your teeth are in. Contacting experts such as ALIGNERCO can provide you with useful information and resources. For example, if all of your adult teeth have erupted, it could be time for treatment. However, if you are still waiting for some adult teeth to come through, then your orthodontist may want you to wait a few months or even a year so the treatment can be completed correctly. What orthodontic treatment you go through will be a mix of personal preference and orthodontic advice. But let's discuss the two main treatment options.
Metal Braces
Even if you've never had orthodontic treatment yourself, metal braces are likely to be the one kind of treatment that you have heard of. Metal braces are fixed to your teeth with wire running through that is slowly tightened over the course of the treatment to align your teeth. Once fitted, you will be required to return to your orthodontist roughly every six to eight weeks to get the braces adjusted and to ensure they are working as they should. Treatment time for braces is judged case by case, and after the braces have been removed, you will be required to wear retainers to keep your teeth in place. Failure to wear the retainers will result in movement of the teeth.
Clear Aligners
Clear aligners are a fairly new treatment within orthodontics, and they have gained huge popularity over the last few years due to being an 'invisible treatment.' Instead of having fixed braces, you have a series of clear retainers that put gentle pressure on your teeth to align them into position. One of the big issues with fixed braces is that you are restricted with what you can eat. However, with clear aligners, you can eat and drink whatever you want, you just have to remove the aligners beforehand.
