Teeth straightening (Orthodontics)
Teeth straightening (Orthodontics) is the branch of dentistry that deals with problems
related to crowded or crooked teeth and misaligned teeth that are difficult to
close. The overall name for this is Malocclusion and the impairment can be caused
by a single tooth, an entire jaw, or both jaws and the relation between them.
The causes of jaw-closing impairment are:
• hereditary
• tooth injury
• loss of teeth
• the result of thumb sucking
The importance of early intervention
- Aesthetics
- Allows the
possibility for early correction of crooked teeth.
- Correct
placement of buck teeth
- Can repair
bite problems
- Reduces the
need for tooth extraction
- With straight
teeth it is easier to maintain oral hygiene, therefore reducing exposure to
tooth decay and gum disease
In a normal
situation, the teeth lie in a symmetrical arch in each jaw with a fixed ratio
between the jaws. An orthodontist diagnoses existing abnormalities in these
relations and treatment is performed according to the findings.
The desired age for
intervention is towards the end of permanent teeth eruption. Sometimes, it is
necessary to advance the treatment when problems with milk teeth interfere with
the normal eruption of permanent teeth. Early treatment usually includes milk
teeth extraction to allow the eruption of permanent teeth, and only then is
treatment started.
Most patients are adolescents. Recently, a branch of adult orthodontic
treatment has been developed. The motives are usually related to aesthetics or
because of changes in tooth position after severe periodontal disease that
caused by loss of bone support for teeth. In these cases it is necessary to
re-anchoring the teeth with a permanent or removable fixture. | 
