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Orthodontics is one of the many dental specialties and deals with the alignment of improperly positioned teeth and jaws to improve their appearance, and more importantly, their health and functionality.

Who is an orthodontist?

A specialist in orthodontics is referred to as an orthodontist.

What is an orthodontic treatment?

It is nothing but a method to move/straighten your non-aligned teeth and augment both their functionality and appearance. Depending on your exact problem, your orthodontist would choose a suitable orthodontic treatment. It's an orthodontist's job to prevent, diagnose and treat your oral irregularities.

Why do you need an orthodontic treatment?

Crooked, non-aligned teeth are difficult to clean and thus susceptible to losses due to periodontal diseases and dental caries. Such teeth also cause stress on the chewing muscles which further leads to head, shoulder, neck and back pain and TMJ disorders.

When do you need an orthodontic treatment?

The foremost step here is to assess your teeth's present condition and determine how they are going to develop further. Using diagnostic tools such as plaster models, x-rays, clinical exams and photographs, an orthodontist will determine whether you're eligible for an orthodontic treatment or not.

Also, if you have any of the following conditions, you are definitely a suitable candidate: - Underbite: This is when your lower teeth stick out or the front one too far back - Overbite: The opposite of overbite - Open bite: open slot between biting surfaces - Spacing: Gaps and spaces between teeth - Crowding: Too many teeth for the dental ridge to accommodate - Crossbite: This is when your upper teeth do not come down in front of your lower teeth - Misplaced midline: Misaligned upper and lower molars

How does an orthodontic treatment work?

An orthodontic treatment requires a number of different appliances used to retain oral muscles, help your teeth move and affect the growth of your jaws. Either fixed or removable, these appliances perform by placing pressure on your teeth or jaws.

Fixed appliances:

- Braces - Fixed space maintainers - Special fixed appliances

Removable appliances:

- Aligners - Removable space maintainers - Jaw repositioning appliances - Palatal expander - Removable Retainers - Headgear - Lip/cheek bumpers - Headgear

How to take care of your orthodontic appliances?

Impeccable oral hygiene becomes all the important with orthodontic appliances. Make sure you brush and floss twice, daily and schedule regular appointments with your dentists. It's equally important that you maintain a balanced, nutritious diet and limit your sugar intake.

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Invisalign

These are clear aligners that can straighten the teeth with incremental number of clear trays.

Ceramic braces

Tooth colored brackets with tooth colored wires to conceal the metal mouth look of regular Orthodontic braces

Archwire

The various different wires used for moving and sliding the teeth to bring them into an ideal position in the mouth relative to each other and the skeletal components.

Band (orthodontic)

It is like a stainless steel jacket mostly put on the molars to avoid breakage of the regular brackets due to the heavy occlusal forces.

Bracket

Acts like a handle on the tooth, which is used to move the tooth on the archwire with the help of elastics, and other auxiliaries like open and closed coil springs.

Ceramic brackets

Ceramic brackets are tooth colored brackets to avoid the metal look of the regular stainless steel braces- These are the regular braces that come in different shapes, sizes and different philosophies (active and passive).The decision of the choice of brackets is made by the Orthodontist and the patient together.

Crowding

It is the misalignment of the teeth due to inadequate availability of the supporting basal bone. It would usually require orthopedics and/or extractions depending upon the patient’s age and facial profile. Accelerated Orthodontics

It is a procedure mostly done by a periodontist to facilitate the acceleration of tooth movement. It accompanies a minimal periodontal surgical procedure to create a state of osteopenia that loosens the bone and thus helps the tooth to move around faster and easier.

Debonding

It is the process of taking the orthodontic braces off once the treatment is over.

Elastics (rubber bands)

These are one of the auxiliaries used to move the teeth on the archwire.

Gingiva

The tissue surrounding the tooth that covers the supporting bone.

Headgear

It is an extra oral removable appliance that is worn by the patient to facilitate orthopedic or dental changes in the maxilla.

Herbst appliance

It is an intraoral fixed appliance that is placed in the patient’s mouth by the orthodontist to facilitate orthopedics or dental changes in both maxilla and mandible.

Imaging

These are the part of diagnostic records for coming up to a diagnosis for orthodontic patients and accordingly devise an optimal treatment plan. Examples-Panoramic x-ray, lateral x-ray or/and a CBCT scan.

Lingual

The inner sides of the tooth close to the tongue.

Lingual appliances

These are the braces on the inner side of the teeth close to the tongue that are practically concealed.

Orthognathic surgery

This is the surgical procedure performed by an Oral Surgeon to improve the functional and esthetic outcome of an orthodontic treatment that would otherwise be impossible to achieve by orthopedics or orthodontics alone. It is mostly done for adults.

Overbite

It is the dept up to which the upper anterior (incisors) teeth cover the lower teeth.2 mm is ideal.

Retainer

These are the mandatory removable/fixed appliances delivered by the orthodontist after the treatment is over to avoid shifting of teeth.

Retention

This is the terminal phase of orthodontic treatment in which retainers are used.

Straight wire appliance