Orthodontics

Dental Services

Orthodontics

What Is Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is a highly specialised brand of dentistry that deals with the correction of improperly positioned teeth and jaw. It relates to teeth movement and making critical improvements to a patient’s jaw, whenever appropriate. Some of the key applications of orthodontics include closing spaces, correction of overjets and overbites, bite relationship improvement, and teeth alignments for hygiene, functional, or cosmetic reasons.

Who can benefit from Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is particularly useful for patients that have decided to undertake reconstructive or cosmetic dental procedures such as veneers, crowns, or implants. All these restorative procedures require prior correction of teeth position. With an improved teeth alignment, the need for the removal of tooth structure can be minimised while fitting a new veneer or crown.

Orthodontics also plays a critical role in the treatment of patients that have suffered mild to significant bone loss, resulting in gum loss around their teeth. Extrusion is a technique that utilises orthodontic forces to pull the tooth up or down. This grafting process prior to removal ensures minimum replacement of gum tissue and bone during the surgery.

Many experienced dentists rely on Orthodontics for the long-term prognosis of different restorative treatments. Patients with a poor occlusal relationship or deep overbites tend to suffer from ongoing wear and damage not only to their teeth but also to any dental treatment they may want to undergo. Orthodontics helps reduce the lapping and crowding of teeth, making it easier to maintain dental hygiene.

What are the different Orthodontic options?

Over the years, there has been a significant advancement in the orthodontic treatment alternatives. Not so long ago, the most common option was the traditional braces that typically involved the use of metal wires and brackets. Quite obviously, these options were far from being aesthetically pleasing. Now, however, patients also have the freedom to opt for advanced alternatives such as ceramic brackets that are clear and come with thin white wires. Patients looking for teeth straightening can also choose from different types of clear and removable aligners that are extremely effective in causing sequential teeth movement over time e.g. Invisalign or ClearCorrect. Please contact Rickard Dental Centre to evaluate different options and figure out what is best for you.