What is orthodontics? (braces treatment)
Orthodontics, which means straight teeth in Greek, is a branch of dentistry that treats not only teeth but also lower and middle face irregularities. Orthodontics examines the position of the lower and upper jaws relative to the skull base and each other, and the relations of the teeth in three dimensions.
In which cases orthodontic treatment is needed? What is braces treatment?
Orthodontic treatment is needed in cases where there is a crossbite in the mouth. Crossbite, on the other hand, is the opposite of normal mouth closure, that is, when the lower teeth are ahead of the upper teeth. Except for cross closing:
In cases where the front teeth are too far forward and the lips do not touch each other,
In cases where the teeth are not placed properly or overlap each other,
In cases where the teeth are very spaced apart,
If there is a large gap between the lower and upper anterior incisors when you bring your teeth to the closure, if the teeth are located too far from each other, that is, in openbite cases,
In cases where your front incisors are very open,
In cases where there is difficulty in chewing or saying some letters, although there is no obvious crowding in the teeth,
In children older than 4 years of age, you should consult a dentist in cases where thumb or pacifier sucking continues.
It is important to take the child to the dentist and be examined in the absence of milk molars, which have lost their primary teeth before the time of falling out, and especially in children aged 6 years.
Is there an age limit in orthodontic treatment?
People of all age groups can have orthodontic treatment. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of adults who have had orthodontic treatment. Treatments called preventive orthodontic treatment are performed especially in children aged 8 -15 years. Before starting orthodontic treatment, all of the child’s permanent teeth must come out. Permanent teeth begin to erupt at 6-7 years of age and continue until 12-14 years of age. Therefore, orthodontic treatment should be started after the age of 12.
Braces treatment time
It varies between 8 and 24 months on average, depending on the tooth structure.
What are the appliances used in braces treatment? What is clear braces?
Movable Bracket: These are the appliances that the patient can put on and take off himself. It is applied in simpler cases in the early treatment.
Functional/Orthopedic Appliances: These are appliances that the patients can put on and take off at a young age before puberty in order to correct the deteriorated relations between the lower and upper jaws (orthopedic problems). It is often used with fixed orthodontic appliances.
Orthognathic Surgery: Disorders of the jaw and face may be congenital or may occur later due to accidents and diseases. The incompatibility of the jaws with respect to each other and the face causes both aesthetic, functional and psychological disorders in patients. In these cases, Orthognathic Surgery is applied.
Ortho-Aligner: Ortho-Aligner is a method applied as an alternative treatment in some orthodontic disorders without attaching brackets to the teeth. Precise measuring tools are used for torque and angle control on models. Thus, it is ensured that the teeth move within their physiological limits. Then the 1 mm movement is confirmed by the computer program. In this way, the measurements made are also checked again. After the measurements are made, the teeth are rotated at certain rates. Thus, the teeth come to the desired position at a certain time. For each corrected model, 3 separate plaques are printed. Plates are 0.5mm – 0.625mm – 0.75mm in size. These plates are 1 mm in total by taking light forces on the teeth. makes it move.
Braces treatment designed in a computer environment can be corrected by using transparent palates. These transparent plaques, which are produced in different numbers according to the condition of the teeth, are changed every 2 weeks and the desired movements are provided in the teeth.