Only 35% of adults have naturally aligned teeth.
If you don’t have a perfectly straight smile, it’s not your fault. Misaligned bites and crooked teeth can happen for a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s genetics; other times, it’s just bad luck.
Whatever the cause may be for you, continuing to live with a misaligned bite can make life difficult. If you’ve been thinking about visiting an orthodontist, then this article is for you! We’ll go over some of the most common orthodontic treatments, so you can start exploring your options.
What could your local orthodontist do for you? Read on to find out.
Traditional Braces
The technology used for creating braces has advanced over the last few decades. As traditional braces become more effective, patients are able to enjoy a much better experience.
Braces use a series of brackets that affix directly to the teeth. The orthodontist carefully threads wires through the slots in each of the brackets.
The wires are held in place by ligatures or o-rings. O-rings are simply small rubber bands. Brackets are usually comprised of stainless steel. In some cases, patients will also have metal bands that completely encircle a particular tooth.
Wire Material
The wires are typically made of a variety of metal alloys. Together, the wires and brackets apply a consistent and gentle force to your teeth. Over months or years, the force can gradually shift the teeth into perfect alignment.
Braces Procedure
Before getting braces, your orthodontist will want to perform a clinical exam and take several x-rays. Next, they’ll get impressions of your teeth. You’ll also receive a treatment plan prescription.
Everyone’s mouth is unique. This means you won’t be able to compare your braces experience with someone else who’s had them.
While you may need a year or two of braces, someone else may only need them for 8 months. The period that you’ll wear the braces for depends on what type of problem the orthodontist is correcting. There are different types of dental braces too, and we suggest exploring all of the options with your local orthodontist.
Completely Clear Aligners
Next to braces, clear aligners can be a great option for creating a perfect smile. If you’ve ever heard of products such as Invisalign, then you already know what a clear aligner is.
It’s a thin, plastic-type tray that’s customized to fit your teeth. It’s the patient’s responsibility to put the aligner in and out as needed.
How They Work
Typically, an orthodontist will instruct you to keep your aligner in at all times unless you’re eating. You won’t keep the same aligner throughout the entire teeth straightening procedure. Instead, you’ll receive a series of aligners that help gently move your teeth.
See Your Smile
One of the best parts is, you’ll be able to see 3D images of what your teeth will look like as the trace progress. There isn’t any guessing or wondering what your smile will look like.
Each new plastic tray will be shaped slightly differently than the one before it. Over weeks, your teeth will be able to move a fraction of a millimeter at a time.
Caring for Aligners
It’s crucial for patients to keep up with dental hygiene when using the aligners. Flossing, brushing, and using mouthwash as needed are highly recommended.
The number of aligners you’ll need to fix your teeth varies from one person to the next. It’ll depend on how severe the bite correction needs to be.
Extra Force Elastics
Next on our list of orthodontic treatments, let’s talk about elastics. Elastics are itty bitty rubber bands that attach to your braces.
The rubber bands are there to apply a strong force to one tooth or several teeth. The unique pulll that the elastics create gives them the leverage they need.
Attaching Rubber Bands
How do these tiny rubber bands attach? There are small hooks on the lower and upper brackets of the braces. The orthodontist can then instruct the patient on how to attach the elastics to the small hooks, so they can apply them as needed.
Caring for Elastics
Patients have to remove the elastics whenever they’re eating, flossing, or brushing their teeth. However, it’s normal to leave the elastic on for the rest of the time. Each orthodontist will prescribe their own instructions for how often the rubber bands need to be in place.
It’s important that patients don’t overwear the rubber bands since this can apply excessive force to the teeth. Over time, excessive force can overcorrect the bit. Whereas applying just the right amount of pressure can help give your teeth the advantage they need to straighten up!
Rectangular and Round Archwires
Next, on our list of orthodontic treatment options, we have archwires. Archwires are for patients who already have traditional braces in place.
The small thin wire fits perfectly into the slots of the braces brackets. Applying a gentle force, the wires are able to move your teeth.
There are round archwires and rectangular ones. It’s common for an orthodontist to use round archwires at the beginning of the treatment.
The rectangular archwires have a small square on both ends. These wires are able to apply a greater force and are usually used later on during the orthodontic treatment. Rectangular wires are particularly great at redirecting tooth movement, given the complete orthodontist control.
Athletic Mouthguards
Moving on, an orthodontist can also help with custom-made mouthguards. Athletes of any age can suffer tooth trauma during competitive sporting activities.
Thankfully, a well-made mouth card can properly protect the teeth, so you can play your best game possible. Mouthguards use a variety of materials to make them durable, yet comfortable.
If you’ve worn a mouthguard in the past and found it to be stiff and uncomfortable, that’s because the materials weren’t flexible. Nowadays, orthodontist source materials that have just the right amount of flexibility. Mouthguards are still relatively rigid, but the slight give helps them comfortably fit in your mouth.
Navigating Orthodontic Treatments
As you can see from this guide, orthodontic treatments can correct bite problems from a number of angles. If you’re an adult, who’s looking for a discreet bite correction procedure, clear aligners can be a perfect choice.
However, for more serious bite problems, your orthodontist may need to fall back on traditional braces. Since you won’t know until you schedule a first patient appointment, go ahead and reach out to a local orthodontist today.
Before you know it, you’ll have the smile you’ve always dreamed of. For more tips like these, read another one of our articles.