Your facial appearance greatly impacts how you look and feel about yourself. A great smile enhances an excellent facial appearance. A great smile is one with properly aligned teeth as white as possible. All these can be achieved through Surgical Orthodontics Roslyn. More about orthodontics and its benefits are discussed below.
What is Orthodontics?
Orthodontics is a sector of chemistry that deals with conditions that make your teeth incorrectly positioned when closing the mouth resulting in an improper bite. This specialist is responsible for making your teeth straight.
Although treatment may improve your appearance, your oral function is also enhanced.
Procedures performed by an orthodontist aim at:
- Aligning the tips of the teeth
- Closing wide gaps between the teeth
- Improving chewing ability or speech
- Straightening crooked teeth
- Boosting the overall health of teeth and gums
- Treating an improper bite
- Preventing long-term trauma or excessive wear of the teeth
Treatment may improve your speech function and chewing while protecting your teeth from decay or damage. This is done through the use of several medical, dental devices that include:
Braces
These are wires, brackets, and bands. The bands are strongly fixed around your teeth, serving as anchors for the appliance, while brackets are put in front of the teeth.
Wires shaped like an arch are passed through the brackets and fixed to the bands. As you tighten the archwire, tension is put on your teeth that move into the proper position.
Fixed-space maintainers
After a child loses their baby tooth, a space maintainer is placed between the two adjacent teeth to prevent them from moving in before the adult tooth comes. A band is placed on one of the teeth next to the space while a wire moves from the band to the other tooth.
Removable space maintainers
They are alternatives to fixed-space maintainers
Special fixed appliances
These assist in controlling thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. They are used only when necessary as they are uncomfortable, especially when eating.
Headgear
This involves the attachment of a strap around the back of the head that is attached to a metal wire in the front. This aims at slowing down upper jaw growth, keeping the back teeth in position while pulling the front ones back.
Aligners
These are brace aligners that adults may use. They are hardly noticeable to others and can be removed to floss, brush teeth, or eat. They are used for a few weeks and then replaced with tighter ones.
Retainers
After treatment, these devices are used to inhibit teeth from going back to their original places. Modified ones can be used to stop children from sucking their thumbs.
Palatal expander
This appliance is made up of a plastic plate with screws placed on the roof or palate of the mouth. They aim at making the upper jaw wider.
Many different appliances can be used either for cosmetic or health reasons. Discussions with your orthodontist will determine the best treatment plan to be used. Check us out online for any orthodontic inquiries, or call our Great Neck, NY offices.
