Losing teeth, crooked teeth, crowded teeth, and gaps between the front teeth are just some of the dental issues that can be addressed by an orthodontist. These issues can eventually cause poor oral hygiene, chewing ability, and a disfigured smile. Orthodontic treatment typically requires braces and may take several years to complete.
In short, orthodontics in Los Gatos is a dental specialty that focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of teeth and jaws. Patients are treated for issues such as overcrowding, spacing, and alignment of teeth, misalignment of jawbones, and bite problems in the orthodontics department. Therefore, it’s a common myth that orthodontists are just for braces. Orthodontics is often viewed as a profession specializing solely in teeth alignment. In reality, they have the skills and training to treat a wide variety of dental concerns. That being said, there are some treatments orthodontists usually don’t do.
Let us now see some of the dental issues for which orthodontics can provide a solution.
- Crowding
Teeth that are crowded can cause a lot of problems. It can be difficult to eat, speak and brush teeth due to the decreased amount of room in the mouth for these daily activities. Orthodontic treatment is a way to extract teeth or extract bone from the jaw so the teeth have more room to fit comfortably. The process is typically quite complicated and can take years before it’s completed.
- Gaps or space issues
There are a few different treatment options for gaps and space issues. Orthodontics may be recommended to fix teeth that have shifted, or traditional braces may be used to move teeth closer together. In some cases, although it is rare, surgery will be the best treatment option.
- Narrow palate
Individuals with narrow palates often find difficulty in chewing foods, speaking, and acquiring the correct pronunciation of certain vowels. Orthodontic treatment is one of many solutions for those who have difficulty with those three things. The first step of this process entails some type of oral surgery to widen the palate. In some cases, a palate expander is inserted into the mouth to slowly widen the width of the individual’s palate over a period of time.
- Malocclusions
Malocclusion is a term used to describe when the lower teeth are in front of the upper teeth. Orthodontics treatment for these cases may involve braces, headgear, or both. Although orthodontics will help with appearance, it cannot increase jaw size.
