When you have misalignment, this could lead to issues with the appearance of your smile, as well as your oral health and even your bite function! But we can help with orthodontics, choosing an option to help straighten your smile, sometimes in as little as one year. In today’s blog, your Celina, TX, dentist takes a close look at our orthodontics!
The Causes of Misalignment
What causes dental misalignment to occur? For some, complications in childhood could be responsible, such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or issues with the eruption of the teeth related to the growth and development of the jaw and certain oral structures. In the teen and adult years, misalignment could occur due to the arrival of wisdom teeth, or even premature tooth loss due to poor oral health or injury. The causes will vary, but the results will include a higher risk of tooth decay and gum disease, as the teeth are more difficult to thoroughly brush and floss. Dental misalignment issues could also impact bite balance so you are more vulnerable to issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). This could also result in embarrassment and impact your social interactions, which harms your overall quality of life. Our team can help teens and adults alike enjoy a straighter smile!
A Diagnosis
To begin, our team will take a close look at your smile with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras. With these high-definition and advanced digital images, we can assess the state of your smile and the cause and severity of your misalignment. From there, we can plan treatment to correct your poor alignment and strengthen your smile, sometimes in as little as one year!
Braces
Braces are a very effective way of treating misalignment, and we often recommend this for more substantial cases. The process involves our team connecting metal brackets to the front facing side of the teeth, and then connecting a portion of a thin arch wire to each bracket with a band. For some, we may also use bands to connect the upper and lower sets of braces, correcting your bite balance. We will adjust tension in the arch wire during periodic visits, which will help shift the teeth into proper position. For most, the total treatment time will take about one year.
ClearCorrect Aligners
For more minor cases, we could offer a cosmetic alternative to traditional braces with the ClearCorrect system. With this option, instead of metal brackets and wires, our team will use a series of clear and custom aligners, which fit over your teeth. To get started, we will take detailed digital images and impressions of your smile, which we use in a lab setting to design and craft your custom orthodontics. Each aligner is fitted for your smile and is made from a BPA-free plastic. They will also be clear in appearance, so your aligners are practically invisible. Each set is worn for about 20 to 22 hours a day on average, for a period of about two weeks. You then begin wearing the next set in the series as your smile is gradually and gently corrected. The aligners are easy to clean and soak, and can be taken out for special occasions, such as graduations, first dates, or job interviews. You can also remove them before meals to avoid changing your diet, and being removable also means a much easier time brushing and flossing your teeth.
Caring for Smiles During Treatment
You need to care for your smile during treatment to avoid major oral health problems. Without daily care, food and drink particles could remain trapped between the teeth or along your brackets, which then weaken enamel to cause cavities and discoloration, so when your braces are removed, you could have obvious spots on your teeth, or areas that are darkened due to cavities. For some, poor oral health could stop treatment as your brackets may need to be removed.
But you can safeguard your smile by taking time to brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Don’t use a whitening one, particularly if you are a teen patient. You also need to floss every day before going to bed, and you could carry a pick or floss tape with you to clean your smile after every meal. If you have any questions, then contact our team today to learn more.
Schedule Your Orthodontic Consultation
Our team wants to help straighten your smile and improve your oral health and bite function. To learn more about our orthodontic treatment options, call Celina Family Dentistry in Celina, TX, today at 214-851-0130.
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