Braces - Orthodontics

Orthodontic treatment is a way of straightening or moving teeth, to improve the appearance of the teeth and how they work. It can also help to look after the long-term health of your teeth, gums and jaw joints, by spreading the biting pressure over all your teeth.

Some of the many benefits of orthodontic treatment include:
⦁ Straight teeth and a nice smile that improves self-esteem and confidence.
⦁ Improved facial shape and profile.
⦁ Better chewing function and speech.
⦁ To prevent excessive wear on certain teeth not contacting properly with the opposing arch.
⦁ Freedom from jaw/joint pain.
⦁ Improved ability to clean one’s teeth and avoid tooth decay and periodontal disease.
⦁ Establish a healthy foundation for the replacement of missing teeth or other restorative dental work.
⦁ Improved facial and dental aesthetics.
⦁ Smiling with confidence and an improvement in your self-esteem.
⦁ Improved dental health due to easier access for cleaning.
⦁ Reducing the prominence of teeth which will decease the chance of tooth injury.
⦁ Correction of dental anomalies such as impacted teeth, extra or missing teeth.
⦁ Simplifying other dental treatments
⦁ The reduction in mouth-breathing and lip incompetence.

Through advances in orthodontic technology, today’s braces are smaller, stronger and more effective than ever before. Braces are more comfortable and can be more esthetic with clear braces or with the new Invisalign appliances. Comprehensive braces orthodontics in Lahore, science and dental technology to create beautiful, healthy smiles that can last a lifetime.

Many people have crowded or crooked teeth. Orthodontic treatment will straighten the teeth or move them into a better position. This can improve their appearance and the way the teeth bite together, while also making them easier to clean.

Orthodontic treatment can move the ‘prominent’ teeth back into line, which reduces the likelihood of damaging them. This helps some people who have upper front teeth that stick out and look unsightly.

Or the way the upper and lower jaws meet can cause teeth to look unsightly and lead to an incorrect bite. Orthodontic treatment may be able to correct both of these problems.

When the teeth don’t meet correctly, this can put strain on the muscles of the jaw, causing jaw and joint problems and sometimes headaches. Orthodontic treatment can help you to bite more evenly and reduce the strain.

The best time is generally during childhood, but adults can have orthodontic treatment too – and more and more are doing so. Age is less important than having the right number of teeth. In children it may be necessary to wait for enough teeth to come through before starting treatment

The most important thing is to have a full examination. This will usually involve looking at your teeth, taking dental x-rays and making plaster models of your teeth.

Your dental team or orthodontist will then discuss what treatment is possible. Once you are sure you want to go ahead, the treatment can start as soon as you have enough permanent teeth.

Orthodontists use a fixed brace to guide teeth more accurately than they can with a removable brace. The fixed brace consists of brackets and bands that are temporarily attached to the teeth. A flexible wire connects all the brackets and allows the teeth to be moved. Since the appliance cannot be removed by the patient, it is called a fixed appliance.

Dentists use several sets of specially molded, slightly different aligners made from tough, clear plastic to straighten teeth. Patients wear each set for two weeks before replacing it with the next one. The aligners are nearly invisible because they are made from clear plastic. Invisalign or Invisible Braces are examples of such aligners. This means that no one need know you are straightening your teeth.

To achieve the best results, you should wear the aligners for 22 to 23 hours a day. You can easily remove them for eating, drinking, brushing, and cleaning in between your teeth. You need to have all your adult teeth before you can have this treatment.

The length of treatment depends on how severe the problem is, and it may take anything from a few months to two-and-a-half years. Most people can be treated in one to two years.

After finishing treatment, the patient needs to hold their teeth in position for a period called the “retention” period, using appliances called retainers.

The retainers hold newly straightened teeth in position while the surrounding gum and bone settles. The retainers can be removable or fixed, depending on the original problem.

All appliances may feel strange at first, and can cause discomfort. If the problem doesn’t go away, the orthodontist may be able to carry out adjustments to help. You will usually feel discomfort in your teeth immediately after your brace has been adjusted, but it will settle.

Success depends on both the skills of the orthodontist, and the enthusiasm and helpfulness of the patient (and parents, if the patient is a child). It is important to follow any instructions given by the orthodontist and to go to any appointments you have with them.

The success of the treatment also depends on the commitment of the patient. For children’s orthodontic treatment it is very important that the patient is as keen as the parent.