What is orthodontics? Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry dedicated to preventing and correcting the abnormal alignment and positioning of teeth and jaws for functional and aesthetic purposes. The only person who is qualified to treat orthodontic patients is an orthodontist in Lusby MD.
What causes malposition of teeth and jaws?
Malpositioning of the teeth and jaws can be caused by several hereditary factors or developed over time, like the premature loss of teeth. Also, some bad habits such as thumb sucking, breathing (due to the presence of voluminous adenoid or tonsils or nasal blockage), atypical swallowing (abnormal positioning of the tongue while swallowing), nibbling of the lips or any other object (pencil, etc.) can affect the positioning of the teeth and the shape of the jaws.
Why undergo orthodontic treatment?
Proper alignment of the teeth makes cleaning easier, which reduces the risk of plaque formation, decay, and periodontal disease. In other words, you keep a healthy mouth longer! The position of the jaws and teeth is closely related to chewing and, therefore, proper digestion.
The alignment of the teeth and the positioning of the lips affect pronunciation, phonetics, and speech. Good occlusion causes less tension to the teeth, bones, muscles, and temporomandibular joints. A bad occlusion can cause grinding and clenching of the teeth (bruxism).
Bruxism is often the cause of wear and tear fractures as well as muscle fatigue and pain in the face, head, and neck. Straight teeth and a beautiful smile will make people feel less embarrassed and more confident. Another reason to be seen by an orthodontist in Lusby MD.
What can be corrected by orthodontics?
1. Inadequate spaces between teeth or overlapping
2. A “gummy” smile
3. A difficulty of closing the lips completely at rest
4. The lack of harmony between the upper and lower jaws
5. A chin that is too forward or back
When to undergo orthodontic treatment?
From a young age, when a problem is detected, it is often important to address it quickly. In this way, by means of small interventions, often with removable devices, an abnormality in the position of the teeth can be corrected to avoid major treatments later. This is called interceptive orthodontics. Contact us for more details.
