Let’s talk about why you might need orthodontics. The treatment itself aims to help any with dental alignment issues, so it might help to go over the various cases that require professional help. Some patients originally attempt DIY methods, but there’s nothing better than going to a consultation with a certified orthodontist and determining which treatment plan benefits you the most.
Orthodontia is only one of many specialized dental treatments, so it might help to review what it’s all about.
What Is Orthodontics?
The American Dental Association (ADA) defines orthodontics as the specialty that diagnoses prevents, intercepts, and corrects malocclusions in developing or mature orofacial structures.
Let’s break that down.
Orthodontia focuses on how well-aligned are your teeth and jaws. If your teeth are crooked, we make sure to correct that situation.
Portland Orthodontists will use non-surgical methods to achieve these goals. We focus on non-surgical options for treatment because we would require additional certifications and training if we decided to go in and perform invasive procedures.
If your case is too severe, you might require such treatments. However, you wouldn’t rely only on orthodontists.
Just as we recommend patients visit a certified orthodontist for treatments dealing with their teeth and jaw alignment, we have to acknowledge that the right people to perform invasive surgeries in your orofacial region are maxillofacial surgeons.
And that’s orthodontics, in a nutshell.
Why Do I Need Braces?
You might need braces for several reasons; chief among them is that your dental structures might be misaligned.
As we mentioned before, orthodontics focuses on providing you with non-surgical solutions for your teeth and jaw alignment problems. Instead of invasive surgery, we use orthodontic appliances that gradually shift your teeth’ position.
Such a treatment requires careful planning to ensure your teeth will endure the process and lead to a favorable outcome. Let’s check some of the most common reasons why you might need braces and the help of an orthodontist.
Jaw Malalignment
Some patients may notice that not all their teeth are visible when they smile while biting down. These conditions receive the name jaw malocclusions. In these cases, patients’ jaws sit in an improper relationship with each other. The most common cases include the following:
- Overbites
- Underbites
- Crossbites.
You’ll know you suffer from an overbite if your lower teeth remain completely hidden by your upper teeth when you bite down. An underbite is the opposite case, where your lower teeth may completely or partially cover your upper teeth.
Make sure you ask your orthodontist about the severity of your case to check if braces can help solve it.
Space Between Your Teeth
This is one of the most common reasons why patients look for orthodontic treatment. As our mouths develop, permanent teeth start replacing our baby teeth; however, this process is not always as smooth as we might like.
Some teeth don’t have enough space to erupt. In other cases, children prematurely lose a tooth, and their teeth alignment suffers as a result.
Regardless of the reason, braces and other orthodontic appliances can help you solve problems with the space between your teeth. The two most common cases are the following:
- Diastema or Gap Teeth
- Teeth Crowding
Diastema is just the medical term we use to define when you have too much space between your teeth. It’s usually a condition where you see your front upper teeth too far apart from each other. Teeth crowding is the opposite. Remember we said babies could prematurely lose a tooth? In those cases, the remaining teeth can move towards the new space and, as the permanent teeth erupt, they bunch up or cluster around this spot.
Either case may require the use of an orthodontic appliance such as dental braces.
Why Should I Choose Hillsdale Orthodontics?
We’re glad you asked!
Any complications in your teeth and jaw alignment can result from genetic or environmental circumstances. If your parents had crowded teeth, you’ll probably suffer from this orthodontic condition as well. The same goes for any of the conditions we listed in this article.
Environmental causes are a bit harder to predict. Maybe your child came back home from their playdate with a missing tooth. Accidents such as these can happen in an instant. Direct trauma to a tooth may cause tooth loss, and all these conditions may precipitate the development of orthodontic complications.
The team at Hillsdale Orthodontics is more than willing to help. It’s always exciting for us to join new and returning patients in their journey toward a healthy and beautiful smile!
Here, you won’t be limited to traditional metal braces. Make sure you ask us about innovative solutions such as Invisalign clear aligners in Portland.
If your case is too severe, you can also ask us about surgical options as we will coordinate to provide you with the highest level of care.
If you need help fixing dental alignment problems, you can trust our team to provide you with the solutions you require!
Set an appointment and visit us to start your treatment now.
