Orthodontics Are Your Teeth’s Best Friend

The orthodontist, to put it simply, is the go-to dental practitioner for the proper application of cosmetic and dental braces. More than a straighter and much brighter smile, though, there are plenty of reasons why you should go and visit an orthodontist.

Listed below are five of the best reasons why it pays to visit an orthodontist today.

Prevention and/or screening. Between the ages of 6 to 12, much of our primary teeth will be replaced by permanent ones. During this process, it’s important to have the growth of our jaws and eruption of the teeth monitored so that any necessary measures can be taken. Timely treatment can help reduce the need for future treatments, such as extractions.

Teeth crowding is a common dental problem where the teeth are clustered together because there’s not enough space. This makes brushing, as well as flossing, difficult and may lead to gum problems in the future. Having this checked early helps prevent the onset of oral complications.

Aesthetically, the abnormal protrusion of teeth just doesn’t look good. More importantly, these teeth are more prone to chipping and trauma. Fortunately, such a discrepancy can easily be corrected, especially if treatment starts during the prepubertal growth spurt. This spurt is usually 14-16 years old for boys and 11-13 years old for girls.

Abnormal biting pattern. There are three types of abnormal biting patterns. The first is the deep bite, where there is an excessive vertical overlap between your upper and lower teeth. If there’s no overlap, then it’s called an open bite. If the overlap is your lower teeth over the upper teeth, then it’s called a cross bite. To know what kind of abnormal biting pattern you may have and be advised on proper treatment, you’ll want to visit an orthodontist ASAP.

Preventive orthodontics. This is a part of orthodontists that deals with parafunctional habits such as thumb sucking, as well as tongue thrusting. It may also include grinding of teeth at night or bruxism. Such habits can lead to problems to your teeth, especially if it occurs over a long period of time. An orthodontist can help you control and eventually, break away from such destructive habits.

Ultimately, one of the reasons why you’ll want to visit an orthodontist is to improve your self-esteem and overall health. The orthodontist can easily correct problems such as misalignment, crowding or protruded teeth using the proper treatment. Such problems may also cause periodontal problems in the future and may lead to further complications, as there have been studies linking certain heart complications with gum disease. A visit to an orthodontist as early as can benefit children as young as 8 to check for any early warning signs of improper growth of teeth and prevent it from growing any worse.

Schedule an appointment and/or consultation today to put yourself, as well as your kids, on a path to a lifetime of straight, beautiful and healthy smile. 

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