DIY braces highlighted a demand for a low-cost alternative to treatment with an orthodontist. However, could they end up costing you more in the long run? As orthodontists we appreciate that orthodontic treatment is a big investment, but patients should think twice before taking matters into their own hands. This is probably the main disadvantage of straightening your teeth at home. Specialist orthodontists spend five years training as dentists and a further three years training as orthodontists.
If you are suffering from tooth decay or gum disease, for example, these need to be tackled before orthodontic treatment. Clear, removable aligners are now a popular way to straighten teeth. Teeth have roots surrounded by ligaments that secure your teeth firmly into your gumline. When you try to straighten your own teeth, you can put too much strain on these roots and ligaments. This can cause the roots to break off or push too forcefully on the ligaments, possibly killing a tooth.
In some cases, an oral surgeon can do a surgical procedure to change the way your teeth are aligned. If the position of your teeth and jaw cause significant difficulty in your day-to-day life, a dentist might recommend a more involved procedure called orthognathic surgery. Orthognathic surgery moves the position of your jaw, and the recovery can take 2 to 3 weeks. Swelling can persist for even longer.
This type of surgery may be covered by your insurance. Both minor and more invasive forms of oral surgery to align your teeth can be quite expensive. There are other treatments besides braces that can improve your smile. A device called a palate expander can be inserted between the top arch of the teeth to correct this condition.
This device gently pushes teeth apart and expands the space available for the adult teeth. This type of treatment is typically recommended for children and young adults when their jaws are still growing.
A Herbst appliance can be used to correct a misaligned jaw. This metal device is glued to rings on the top and bottom teeth. Cosmetic dental treatments such veneers or dental bonding can create the illusion of straight teeth for teeth that:. Veneers can also be placed strategically to make teeth appear straighter. If crooked teeth are impacting your daily life, you should consider getting treatment.
When you slump forward at your desk and rest your face in your hand, this causes a lot of persistent pressure on one side of the jaw. This pressure can slowly push the teeth inward, resulting in crooked teeth on one side of the face. To help avoid this, try to realign your posture by making sure you are sitting flat on your bottom instead of rolled back towards the lower spine.
Aligning your lower body will help position your upper body better to avoid neck fatigue and needing to rest your face in your hands. Stop thumb-sucking and other oral fixations. In addition to constant inward pressure causing crooked teeth, you can also cause crooked teeth by putting outward pressure on the mouth. This is most common in children who suck their thumbs excessively; however, many teens and adults are also guilty of habits that cause outward pressure.
Using straws, chewing on pens, and blowing bubbles with gum all use a similar pressure to thumb sucking and can cause outwardly crooked teeth. Try to break any habits that put outward pressure on the teeth. Close the gap for any missing teeth. While it is normal for baby teeth to fall out and make way for permanent teeth, losing permanent teeth as an adult can cause issues, including crooked teeth.
Adults may lose teeth due to extractions, dental problems, injury, or permanent teeth never descending after the baby teeth fall out. The gap that is left from the missing tooth puts more pressure on the existing teeth due to an unequal force distribution when chewing takes place.
This can cause them to shift and become crooked. Closing the gap with braces, dental bridges, dental implants, or partial dentures will disallow the existing teeth to shift and become crooked. Movement of teeth into existing gaps is also the result of a natural process called "mesialization" which means that teeth have the tendency to come forward. Have your wisdom teeth removed when the time comes.
While some research shows that allowing your wisdom teeth to come into the mouth rather than having them removed does not cause other teeth to become crowded, this is not a universal truth for all mouths. If your wisdom teeth erupt in a different position than they should or your teeth are already crowded, wisdom teeth can quickly cause significant repositioning of teeth.
Putting this off will only result in pain including infections and difficulty chewing and the possibility of crooked teeth. Part 2. It is important to pinpoint what you would like to change about the appearance of your teeth first so that you articulate your goals to an orthodontist. Some treatment options can only address certain dental issues, so having a clear picture of what you want your teeth to look like afterward is key.
Research board-certified orthodontists in your area. Dentists and orthodontists are different: in addition to dentistry, orthodontists are also training in the complex development of teeth and facial form. It is important to meet with an orthodontist to determine a treatment plan, not a dentist. It is also important that they are board-certified because it ensures that they are licensed with the highest level of comprehensive treatment and training.
In complex cases, an orthodontist may require the help of an oral surgeon or maxillofacial surgeon in order to establish a full treatment plan. Make an appointment with an orthodontist to discuss treatments. You may have done some research on your own, but the only person who can tell you exactly what your options are when it comes to dental appliances is your orthodontist. Sometimes braces are the only option for your dental needs. Some helpful questions to ask include: [4] X Research source What is involved in the proposed treatment plan, and what are some consequences if I choose to not move forward with one of these options now?
How do you determine the cost of treatment and what billing options are available? Also, what insurance plans do you accept? What kind of post-treatment follow up is expected for this treatment option? Do you provide patient references or any before-and-after pictures of your work? Get a second opinion. Decide on an orthodontist and have initial procedures done.
Once you have chosen an orthodontist you trust, a post-consultation appointment will be scheduled. During this appointment the orthodontist will take a mold of your mouth and you will also have panoramic x-rays taken of your face and jawline. Using the mold and x-rays, the orthodontist will be able to determine exactly what needs to be done to fix your smile and can explain the details of various treatment options.
Part 3. Consider a clear aligner. Clear aligners are a series of tight-fitting, custom-made retainers that slip over the teeth and slowly realign them. This treatment option is also typically used for patients with issues like mild to moderate crowding or spacing issues, and not for the treatment of severe underbites, overbites, or more complex problems. Some other considerations include: [8] X Research source Clear aligners require patients to be extremely compliant with wearing them.
Not wearing them enough will result in a longer treatment period. There are many different brands of clear aligners, such as Invisalign, Direct Smile Club, and Candid.
Some require an orthodontist's opinion to order, while others do not. Ask about lingual braces. Lingual braces are similar to traditional braces except that they are placed on the back of the teeth. They use the same system of wires to gradually tighten and straighten the teeth, and are typically worn for anywhere from six to 24 months, depending on the complexity of treatment. However, adults who only need minimum teeth correction may be able to achieve those desired results with a retainer alone.
As far as aesthetics go, an Essix retainer is transparent and fits over the entire arch of the mouth. This makes it much less noticeable than traditional braces. This may sound like an appealing option if you are seeking an alternative to braces, but remember we said this may work only if minimum teeth correction is required. The reality is that the number of use cases where this approach would be viable are extremely limited.
If you truly want to straighten your teeth without braces, then you should consider a different alternative. This type of orthodontic appliance was traditionally used to correct extreme overbites. Headgear puts pressure on the upper teeth in jaw. Since headgear can be removed, it must be worn for a specific number of hours each day in order to achieve the desired results. Your orthodontist would provide specific instructions about this. Specifically were talking about porcelain veneers or dental bonding.
Veneers are thin, hard shells of porcelain that are bonded permanently to the front of a tooth.
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