Orthodontics has been around as a dental specialty since the early 1900s, but people throughout history have searched for ways to straighten their teeth.
Although you may seek out an orthodontist to help give you a beautiful smile, this is often a pleasant side effect of the treatment. Orthodontics true goal is to help you achieve a perfect bite.
Goal: A Perfect Bite
The goals of your orthodontics is to help you achieve your best mouth function. They can work to help improve your bite, improve the stability of the muscles and bones in your mouth, and help improve the way your mouth functions for eating, breathing and swallowing. The goal is to give you a perfect bite.
What is a perfect bite?
A perfect bite means that your upper and lower jaw are working together, the way they are meant to. A good bite will allow you to chew comfortably and efficiently and to give you the most power when you chew or bite down into your food.
A perfect bite can be broken down into several elements:
- There is a functional relationship between the upper and lower jaw – this means they meet where they are supposed to and work together.
- Teeth are staggered between each other and fit well between each other like cogs on a wheel.
Bite problems include:
- Underbite – also called an anterior crossbite. This happens when the top teeth are positioned behind the bottom teeth when you bite down.
- Open Bite – this is when you bite down, the back teeth are closed, but your front teeth don’t connect, or the reverse, when your front teeth meet, but your back teeth don’t connect.
- Deep Bite – When you bite down, your top teeth cover your bottom teeth completely.
- Crossbite – When you bite down your bottom teeth fit outside your top teeth.
Although it may seem like a small thing, if you don’t have a correct bite, many dental problems can occur. These problems include teeth grinding, uneven tooth wear, chipped teeth, jaw joint problems and even difficulty eating and talking.
Goal: A Healthy Smile
Many patients seek out orthodontic treatments from Simcoe Smile Dental to help straighten their teeth and improve their smile. The good news is that teeth that work better together tend to look better too. Aesthetics aren’t the main goal of orthodontic treatment, but it is often a pleasant result.
Orthodontists work under three categories of treatment.
- Preventative Orthodontics – this focuses on eliminating factors that could lead to dental problems down the road if left untreated. Treatments include spacers (in the case of early tooth loss) and tongue cribs to help break a thumb-sucking habit.
- Interceptive Orthodontics – these treatments are often done early, to correct the problem before it gets worse. Treatments include palate expanders to help correct crowding in older children or young adolescents
- Corrective Orthodontics – is the use of full orthodontic appliances to treat older adolescents or adults.
A healthy bite will improve your quality of life and the health of your teeth. Teeth that work well also tend to look better, which will improve your appearance and your self-esteem.
2018 ·