Crooked Teeth

Ortho (as in orthodox or orthopaedic surgeon) means straight so orthodontist means straight teeth. What are the advantages of straight teeth?

· Appearance. An attractive smile will help with self confidence.

· Cleaning.  Straight teeth are easier to clean and keep clean.

· Chewing. The bite and the way that the teeth come together will affect chewing, biting and eating of food.

· Tooth wear.  Crooked teeth can mean excess wear on certain teeth. An uneven pattern of wear.

· Gum problems. Gum problems can be associated with prominent or crooked teeth.

· Occlusion. An uneven bite can cause the jaw to function in atypical ways that can be pain or stress in the joints.

 

What is the right age to see an orthodontist?

Crowding of teeth is normally first apparent when the front adult teeth start to come through. This will often be about the age of six to eight. For most people orthodontic treatment cannot begin until all of the adult teeth have come through. You cannot move a tooth until it comes through. For most people the last adult tooth comes through around the age of 12/13 years (not counting wisdom teeth). This is often the ideal time to get braces.

There are a couple of exceptions.  Some problems can be dramatically decreased or eliminated by timely and judicious intervention at an earlier age.  Often around six or seven years of age.  These problems are not as common but if correctly identified and correctly treated life can be made a lot easier later on.

Adults are another exception. Most crooked teeth can be straightened at any age. It can take longer and there are lots of qualifications but in theory there is no reason why an adult (or anybody older than 12/13) cannot have straight teeth.

 

There are a lot of orthodontists in the yellow pages.  I think I’ll just phone few of them and see what they say.

We always recommend a dental exam before referral to an orthodontist.  It is important you go at the correct time, that your mouth is healthy and that you see the right orthodontist (different orthodontists specialise in different areas). The first visit to an orthodontist will be for a consultation and from this you will normally be given options to consider.  You will not leave with braces on your teeth

 

Cleaning with braces

If you want braces on your teeth you need to be aware that cleaning your teeth will be more difficult.  You will need to spend longer cleaning your teeth and take more care. You will need to be fastidious and obsessive.  If you are unprepared to do this then don’t get braces.

Begin your cleaning with a brush.  Floss is useless so you then need to progress to ‘Piksters’ in order to clean between the teeth.  To finish a fluoride mouthrinse or ‘toothmousse’ will be beneficial.

 

The risks of braces

There are risks and side effects with braces.  Things can go wrong. An orthodontist will detail them more thoroughly but with braces cleaning is more difficult so there is always the risk of decay, white spots or gum problems.

The other main area of concern is relapse. The moment the braces are taken off  teeth can potentially move in an uncontrolled fashion.  They may try to move back to where they came from. This movement may be noticeable or may be very slight. Normally after the braces are taken off people are asked to wear a retainer. This fits over the teeth and helps stop the teeth moving at a time when they are particularly vulnerable. If you are not prepared to wear retainers then don’t get braces.

Every body has teeth that move during their lifetime.  In general teeth become more crowded as you get older.  Especially the lower front teeth.  Some people notice this and some people don’t. It is a part of ageing and not something to be worried or concerned about.