Posted on September 9, 2020
Because braces do so much more than focus on your front teeth! Welcome to the amazing world of orthodontics where we can improve your bite, fix that snaggletooth, and improve the alignment of crooked or gapped teeth. Sounds great, right?
A common misconception with braces is that they are only needed to correct crooked teeth. Ehh, wrong! Even if your top or bottom teeth are mostly straight, there are reasons your orthodontist may still recommend braces.
Orthodontics is a specialized area of dentistry that focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating dental and facial irregularities. Orthodontists are responsible for safely moving the teeth into proper alignment, guiding facial development, and ensuring healthy jaw growth.
The goal of an orthodontic treatment is to ensure the proper function of the teeth and to create healthy smiles. Treatment involves changes in the jaw bones, facial bones, and soft tissues as the teeth shift into their proper places. See, your mouth goes through serious changes to create your beautiful smile!
Gapped or crooked teeth are obvious needs for orthodontic correction. However, if you have experienced the following, it is also time to see an orthodontist:
When the mouth is too small, the teeth do not have enough room which causes crowding and shifting. Having crooked teeth is often a genetic trait (that’s right, blame your parents).
Unfortunately, crooked teeth cause problems chewing, make proper oral care a challenge since there are more hard-to-reach areas, create unnecessary stress on the teeth, and decrease an individual’s self-confidence. Ugh, let’s straighten those teeth!
A gap between the teeth is known as a diastema. Although a diastema is commonly found between the two front teeth, it can occur anywhere in the mouth. Gaps can occur due to the size of the teeth relative to the jawbone, missing or oversized teeth, oversized labial frenum, gum disease, improper swallowing reflex, or poor habits such as thumb sucking.
With spaces between the teeth, the gums are unprotected meaning bacteria can accumulate and gum disease is possible. Yuck! Braces help close the gaps and protect the gums.
When the upper and lower jaws are different sizes or are malformed, the result is an improper bite. An overbite is a protrusion of the upper jaw over the bottom, and an underbite occurs when the lower jaw sticks out farther than the upper one. Either way, the result is teeth that do not meet properly. The biting, chewing, and speaking patterns may be affected. Therefore, even if your teeth are straight, an improper bite is possible and braces are necessary.
Different types of orthodontic treatments are available. During a consultation, your orthodontist will determine which treatment is most appropriate for your needs.
Braces are a type of dental tool to correct problems with the teeth. Braces apply pressure to the teeth to gradually move them into their proper positions. Depending on your unique needs, braces may include brackets, bands, wires, and fixed or removable appliances. The treatment is customized based on each patient’s needs. Braces may be metal or traditional, ceramic, or clear aligners. Headgear appliances may also be worn at night to provide additional correction and pressure (don’t worry, no one will ever know).
Invisalign is a popular brand of clear aligner trays. As an alternative to traditional brackets and wires, Invisalign trays are made of clear, BPA-free plastic for a discreet way to shift the teeth into alignment. A series of trays rely on gentle pressure to promote continuous movement of the teeth.
Typically worn after finishing treatment with braces or Invisalign, retainers help keep the teeth in their new positions. This helps maintain the success of your orthodontic treatment. The bone that holds the teeth needs to be rebuilt after the teeth have moved into place. Retainers give the bone time to rebuild and maintain the new positions of the teeth. You did the work, you want to make the results last!
At Lineberger Orthodontics, we offer braces, Invisalign, and retainers to help patients achieve their smile swagger! We love creating beautiful smiles every day. That’s why we utilize the latest braces options to make sure you have a selfie-worthy smile.
Our Smile Squad helps kids, teens, and adults achieve beautiful, healthy smiles. Lineberger Orthodontics offers braces for patients in Charlotte, Huntersville, and Mooresville. To learn more about our orthodontic treatment options, schedule an appointment with our dapper docs.