A visit to your dentist is where it all begins, the journey to a dazzling smile and straight healthy teeth and gums. We at the Centre of Dental Excellence would love to get you to that point, but sometimes it takes a little work. Whether your teeth need to be straightened or your jaw is misaligned, your local dentist in Middlesex is here to see to your every orthodontic need in comfort with a great deal of kindness and professionalism.
What is orthodontics?
Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that prevents, diagnoses and corrects malpositioned teeth and jaws. It is an effective long term solution used in order to straighten patients’ teeth and fix their bite, it may also involve something known as dentofacial orthopaedics which focuses on modifying facial growth, going so far as to change the shape of someone’s face to a more appealing aesthetic without surgery. There are a number of common reasons for using orthodontics, familiar to many.
Crooked teeth
Your teeth may be spaced far apart with gaps or crowded on top of each other, whichever affliction that may be affecting your smile, orthodontics at your dentist in Middlesex will address these issues to give you straighter teeth which are easier to clean, thus having better health benefits for you in the long run.
Bad bite
This is when your top and bottom teeth do not line up with each other, you may have an overbite, underbite, or crossbite that affects the way you chew food and possibly even the way you speak.
Incorrect jaw position
This is linked to a bad bite, but also to facial aesthetics. A receded jaw can make you look like you have a weak chin and an orthodontic treatment can reposition the jaw to bring the chin forward, the orthodontics will correct bite and tooth alignment at the same time.
How it works
At your consultation with your dentist in Middlesex, impressions, photos, and X-rays will be taken of your teeth and jaw, to decide on an appropriate course of treatments to correct any orthodontic issues you may have. These issues are common among many people and there is a wide range of options available to you to get them fixed, two widely used devices are quite diverse in their methods.
Traditional fixed braces
Once a decision is made to use braces to fix your teeth and jaw alignment issues, brackets will be fixed to each tooth and a wire will be clipped into these which, over time, begins to pull your teeth into alignment, while small elastics can be used to carefully position your jaw into the correct place.
Invisible braces
If traditional braces are not an option for you, and many adults feel this way, alternatively a clear aligner can be used to gently shift your teeth into place. After a digital scan is taken of your mouth, a computer calculates how your teeth will move over time, then custom aligners are created for you to change every 1-2 weeks in the comfort of your home, as your teeth move in small increments over time using built-in pressure.
A consultation with your dentist will help you make the decision that best suits your orthodontic needs.