Teeth Straightening with Braces

According to the second International Collaborative Study of Oral Health Systems (ICSII), a substantial number of children and adults reported impaired social functioning due to the poor perceived appearance of the teeth. In addition, dental diseases cause considerable pain and anxiety.

The structure and health of your teeth can have a huge impact on your overall self-confidence. Missing, strained or crooked teeth can lead to people not smiling at all as the embarrassment of what others might think of their oral imperfections sets in. That being said, a good dentist can repair these imperfections in your teeth, using different tools and procedures. One such commonly used tool is braces.

Purpose of Dental Braces

Braces are generally recommended by dentists in order to improve a patient’s ‘orofacial’ appearance. However, more than just a cosmetic correction, braces are essential because if these misalignments of teeth are left untreated, these problems can result in tooth decay, gum disease, headaches, and earaches as well as speaking, biting or chewing problems.

There may be a lot of reasons why individuals opt for dental braces and the most common ones are listed below:

1. Beyond Aesthetics

As important as appearances can be, the benefit of braces goes beyond just aesthetics. A misaligned smile or incorrect bite can negatively impact an individual’s smile, causing them to hide it from the world. Also, as mentioned above, it can affect their self-esteem, confidence, and ability to communicate effectively with those around them.

2. Prophylaxis of Caries and Periodontitis

With the help of braces, you can correct the structure of your teeth and considerably reduce the chances to being affected by caries and periodontal disease, which is one of the most common dental diseases afflicting humans. Properly aligned teeth can help alleviate the unnecessary wearing, tearing and grinding of teeth.

3. Mouth Breathing

Incorrectly aligned teeth can cause sleep apnea and snoring problems due to mouth breathing. These crooked or crowded teeth can negatively affect oral health. Mouth breathing causes dry lips and dry mouth which in turn leads to decreased saliva production, bad breath, tooth decay, cavities, and serious gum disease such as gingivitis. You can easily nip all these problems in the bud by simply using braces to correct the alignment and structure of your teeth.

4. Speech defects

Misaligned teeth can cause serious speech impediments in both children and adults. Besides affecting the way one bites, chews and speaks, teeth also play an essential role in speech. If they are out of line or causing an underbite or overbite, they can affect speaking patterns, which may lead to embarrassment and frustration while communicating. Once an overbite or underbite gets adjusted with braces, patients are able to pronounce certain words in a more distinct manner.

5. Reduced masticatory function and incorrect loading

The masticatory function is an indispensable oral function that is related to mental, physical and social health throughout life. Misaligned teeth or tooth loss can lead to reduced masticatory function that can eventually result in impaired cognitive function. Masticatory stimulation has also been shown to have an influence on the development of the central nervous system (CNS). This outcome can easily be avoided with the help of teeth correction through braces.

Dental braces generally come in two types; for children and for adults.

Dental Braces for Children

Maintaining oral hygiene and taking corrective measures for misaligned teeth is very important for school going children. This is due to the fact that between 60 and 90 percent of children have at least one dental cavity. As an adolescent or child, your jawline and underlying tissue are still shifting around in the mouth as you reach the stages of adult development. Hence, delaying taking corrective action for dental problems could leave permanent consequences.

1. When should the examination take place?

When it comes to dental braces for children, it is recommended that they should see an orthodontist no later than age seven. While it may seem like an early age to consider braces, it helps the orthodontist get an opportunity to implement preventive measures and correct situations that might otherwise lead to braces in the future. Traditionally, a dental treatment with braces begins when the child has lost most of their primary or baby teeth and the adult or permanent teeth have come in. This occurs usually between the ages of 8 and 14. However, as crowding of teeth in children is quite common and can be treated early on with teeth braces, it is recommended to take precautionary action before a more severe solution is required.

2. When should treatment begin?

The best time for a child to get dental braces depends largely upon the severity and the cause of the misalignment of the child's teeth. The initial consultation with an orthodontist would typically involve an in-depth evaluation of the child’s teeth and facial structure, along with consultation for the braces types such as Fixed braces or ceramic braces. Diagnostic tools such as x-rays, models of the child’s teeth, and photographs of their face and teeth are also taken and used by the orthodontist to study and formulate a timely treatment plan.

Braces for Adults

While the reason for opting for braces and orthodontic treatment may vary from patient to patient, the population choosing to go in for adult braces is steadily rising with the increase in oral care awareness. With oral and throat cancers and gum disease so widespread, it is important that adults address poor oral health and take corrective measures at the earliest. With the different braces types available in the market, they can take their pick from invisible braces, lingual braces, ceramic braces, fixed braces and more. Remember, it’s never too late! Due to a busy lifestyle with client meetings and active social life, most adults are generally hesitant to get braces. However, this problem has been fixed with the introduction of incognito or invisible braces.

Incognito (invisible) braces

The thought of wearing traditional metal braces or ceramic braces for teeth may be unappealing to some patients. Thankfully, with rapid advancements in dentistry, there are now several options to choose from. Invisalign braces or invisible braces, commonly known as lingual braces are hidden behind the teeth and are practically invisible when you smile. Incognito braces are comfortable, convenient and 100% customized to the unique shape of your teeth and individual treatment needs.

Need more advice? Book an appointment with us!

Consult us at Swiss Smile for any questions or advice related to dental orthodontics and we will be glad to help you out. Contact us to book an appointment today.
We will be pleased to be of service and to provide you with individual support.