The Orthodontist: Why You Need to Visit One

The first thing you correlate the word orthodontist to is braces. They are, after all, the one that we visited for years to get our teeth straightened. The orthodontist is the go-to dental practitioner for the proper application of cosmetic and dental braces. But that’s not all. There are other reasons your San Leandro orthodontist comes in handy. More than a straighter and much brighter smile, though, there are plenty of reasons why you should go and visit an orthodontist. Here are the top five reasons you need to contact the office to set up an appointment:

Prevention and/or screening. Between the ages of 6 to 12, our primary teeth are replaced by permanent successors. It’s important to visit your orthodontist to have the growth of our jaws and eruption of the teeth monitored. There are reasons things can go awry while coming in so getting timely treatment will reduce the need for future treatments that may not make us the happiest.

Cosmetics. When your teeth are clustered together because there’s not enough space, it is what is known as teeth crowding. This makes brushing and flossing difficult, which may lead to gum problems in the future. Having this checked early on by a professional prevents the onset of oral complications. Aesthetically, the abnormal protrusion of teeth just doesn’t look good. More importantly, though, these teeth are apt to chipping and trauma. But don’t worry – “buck teeth” can easily be corrected, especially if treatment starts during the prepubertal growth spurt.

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 have and its proper treatment, visit an orthodontist ASAP.

Preventive orthodontics. From thumb sucking to teeth grinding, there are many parafunctional habits that an orthodontist has to deal with because these bad habits can lead to problems in the future, especially if it occurs over a long period of time. Children too will benefit from a visit to an orthodontist as early as 8 years old to check for any early warning signs of improper growth of teeth and prevent it from growing any worse. An orthodontist can help you control, and eventually break away from, such destructive dental habits.

Overall health. Ultimately, the reasons why you’ll want to visit an orthodontist is to improve your self-esteem and overall health. Because our smile is one of the first things people notice about us, having a less than stellar smile will prevent you from wanting to show it off. The orthodontist can easily correct problems such as misalignment, crowding or protruded teeth so you are ready to take on the world happily.

If you are in need of an orthodontist, contact Creative Dimensions Dentistry in Castro Valley, CA at 510-881-8010 to schedule an appointment for a checkup today. Or use our book online tool.

Creative Dimensions Dentistry proudly serves Castro Valley, San Leandro, Hayward, Oakland, Fremont, Russell City and all surrounding areas.