July 2018 – China Dental Supplier | Dental News&Discussion

How do I benefit from orthodontic treatment?

The benefits of orthodontic treatment include a perfectly straight smile that is healthier, better looking and giving you more self-confidence and better quality of life.

Should you be living or working in Puyallup, WA, you can rely on the professional advice and the top quality orthodontic treatment from the team of Orthodontic Excellence that will offer you an individual treatment plan to achieve the perfect smile.

Famous Faces with Braces

A great number of the most famous faces on the planet have gone or are currently going through orthodontic treatment and are not ashamed of it – because they know it is worth!

Traditional braces vs. Invisalign aligners

What is orthodontics?
The word orthodontics comes from the Greek orthos, meaning “straight, perfect or proper”, and dontos, which means “teeth”.

Orthodontics specializes in treating patients with improper positioning of teeth when the mouth is closed (malocclusion), which results in an improper bite. In addition, orthodontics includes treating and controlling various aspects of facial growth and the shape and development of the jaw.

Do I need Orthodontic treatment?
Only your professional orthodontist can determine whether and how you can benefit from orthodontics, after a thorough examination.

Should you have any of the following, you might be a candidate for orthodontic treatment:

Underbite— where the lower teeth are too far forward or the upper teeth too far back
Open bite— space between the biting surfaces of the front and/or side teeth when the back teeth bite together
Crossbite— when the upper teeth do not come down slightly in front of the lower teeth when biting together normally
Overbite— where the upper front teeth stick out over the lower teeth
Different types of orthodontic braces

Different types of orthodontic braces
Crowding— when there are too many teeth for the dental ridge to accommodate

Reasons for orthodontic treatment (braces) adults & children

The benefits of orthodontic treatment often go beyond the obvious physical changes of an improved bite and straighter teeth; it’s also a great way to improve a person’s overall self-image. While having beautiful straight teeth is important, even more important is the need to alleviate any potential health problems associated with the teeth or jaw. Crooked teeth or jaw problems may contribute to improper cleaning of teeth, leading to tooth decay and, possibly, gum disease or total tooth loss. Orthodontic problems that go untreated can lead to chewing and digestion difficulties, speech impairments, and abnormal wear of tooth surfaces. Over time, excessive strain on gum tissue and the bone that supports the teeth can affect the jaw joints leading to problems such as headaches or face and neck pain.

Different types of orthodontic braces
Breathing or swallowing problems – Mouth breathing can lead to snoring and sleep apnea.
Crossbite – One or more upper teeth bite inside the lower teeth (towards the tongue).
Crowding – Involving extra teeth or malpositioned teeth.
Deep Overbite – The lower front teeth bite into the upper tissue of the upper teeth.
Disfiguring of the face & mouth – Affects the development of the jaw and position of the teeth.
Missing or extra teeth – Due to tooth decay, injuries, or inherited problems.
Overjet (protruding upper teeth) – Upper teeth that protrude beyond normal and are usually associated with a short lower jaw.
Self-image – An attractive smile can boost a person’s self-image and confidence.
Spacing between teeth – Teeth are missing or may be too small or too large.
Speech, chewing or biting problems – Result from improper occlusion and jaw alignment
Underbite (lower jaw protrusion) – Lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw.

Specific to children:

Finger or thumb sucking – These habits can cause protrusion of the upper incisor teeth and constriction of the upper jaw.
Teeth erupting out of position – Can be guided to proper alignment.

The Essential 8 Tips on Using Intraoral Camera

1.Be sure your hand fits comfortably on the wireless intraoral camera while using it. Hold it like a high-speed hand piece, and maneuver it as you would during an exam. If your hand fatigue exists after a short period, the hand piece may be too narrow, forcing you to squeeze rather than lightly grasping.

2.Make certain any focus adjustment provides an adequate depth of field at all settings. Do your video tour inside the mouth using both “macro” and “normal” settings. If you need to refocus repeatedly, then the depth of field is inadequate for your purposes.

3.Test handle-mounted freeze buttons to ensure easy operation and adequate capture speeds. This feature replaces foot controls to freeze an image, but pressing the button with your index finger causes movement at the tip of the instrument. Movement causes blurred images in units with inadequate capture speeds. Try this for yourself.

4.Check out the umbilical cord where the hand piece and cable attach. Pay special attention to the connection points because these areas are most susceptible to damage under regular use. Common symptoms include fraying of the umbilical or intermittent loss of image as the camera is moved.

5.Ensure that image artifacts (tiny colored spots surrounding shiny areas of the image) are kept to a minimum. These artifacts are illusive and can make images appear sharper than they really are. These colored spots can be annoying over time and may lead to mis-diagnosis.

6.Mount a protective sheath on your test-drive model. Make certain the image quality is maintained since this is standard infection control protocol.

7.Rate the image quality and ease of use in its intended environment…in-office and on your patients. Allow your staffs involvement in the decision making process. They will be using the product as much, if not, more than the dentist.

8.Understand the warranty, and look for a minimum of 1 year parts and labor. Ask about the servicing protocol and how the manufacturer will stand behind their product. Does the company offer a replacement or loaner program? If they don’t, question turnaround time on warranty service and parts availability.

Risks with orthodontic work you should know

Orthodontic treatment isn’t particularly risky, but as with any intervention to your body, it does carry some minor risks.

Whether you’re looking into orthodontic treatment for your child, or you’re considering treatment options as an adult, it’s important to have the information to be able to weigh up the risks and benefits of treatment before making a decision.

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Toothache and mild discomfort

When you first start treatment, you may feel some mild discomfort as your mouth gets used to the orthodontic equipment and your teeth begin to move. This discomfort will vary from person to person, and will depend on your own pain threshold and the treatment you have chosen.

If you feel any discomfort due to the pressure on your teeth, we recommend taking over-the-counter pain relief.

Scratches and ulcers

At the start of your orthodontic treatment, it’s fairly common to feel some small scratches and ulcers on the inside of your mouth, especially if you’re wearing a fitted device such as braces. This will usually only happen for a couple of days, until your mouth gets used to the shape of your braces.

However this can be easily solved using orthodontic wax, which is an easy and immediate way to protect your mouth during this initial phase.

Gum infection

Maintaining good oral hygiene is important for everyone, but it’s especially important if you’re undergoing any type of orthodontic treatment. Poor oral hygiene can lead to gingivitis and gum infection which can slow down the movement of your teeth – if you’re wearing an orthodontic appliance then this can mean treatment takes longer. In some cases, the infection can cause irreversible damage to the tissues which support your teeth.

Make sure you maintain a healthy oral hygiene routine and follow the guidance of your orthodontist to prevent gum infections. Regular professional cleans with your dentist will also help.

Enamel demineralisation

Enamel demineralisation, where the enamel wears away on the tooth, can occur during orthodontic treatment, particularly with fixed appliances such as braces. It is primarily caused by sugar, which starts a decay process in the enamel. If left to progress, over time this demineralisation can lead to cavities and tooth decay, which appears as white or yellow stains on the teeth.

Root shortening

For some patients, the length of the roots of their teeth become shorter during treatment. It’s nearly impossible to predict whether or not it will happen to you – but some people are more prone to it than others. In general, root shortening doesn’t have significant consequences, but on very rare occasions it may threaten the longevity of the tooth.

Tooth vitality

As orthodontic treatment moves the teeth, some pre-existing conditions (such as trauma or decay) might be aggravated by wearing an orthodontic appliance. The movement the tooth undergoes during treatment might further aggravate the tooth. While very rare, this can lead to the tooth becoming discoloured or requiring root canal treatment.

Risks and complications in orthodontic treatment

Toothache, occasional discomfort or pressure on the teeth

When beginning orthodontic treatment and after the each inspection, you may feel unpleasant pressure on your teeth, toothache, or just discomfort. It depends on the individual and on their pain threshold.
Scratches and bruises

White spots on the surface of the teeth

This complication is caused by long-term bad oral hygiene. White patches appear around the brackets. The enamel beneath the brackets remains undamaged. A coating built up on the surface of the enamel causes demineralisation. This occurs due to harmful bacteria which break down leftover food around the brackets into acids. The acids eat into the enamel resulting in demineralisation.

Image result for risks of orthodontic treatment

This is a stage preceding tooth decay.

If this complication arises and repeated instruction on oral hygiene and visits to a dental hygienist have no effect, the doctor reserves the right to premature termination of treatment. The priority is a healthy set of teeth and only afterwards a straight set.

Gum infection – gingivitis

Insufficient oral hygiene can lead to gum infection. This infection can complicate treatment by meaning slower tooth movement and so treatment is slowed and sometimes leads to irreversible damage to the teeth’s supporting tissues.
Tooth root resorption
Some patients have a tendency to the occurrence of resorption. In practice this means that the teeth’s roots get shorter. This complication however does not shorten the lifespan of teeth.

Relapse of orthodontic defects
Every orthodontic treatment has a tendency to relapse, i.e. the teeth return to their original position. We prevent this by using retention devices and retainers. Retention devices are laboratory products made to fit your teeth exactly.

Retainers are wires which are stuck to the back surface of your teeth to maintain their position. This phase is very important for orthodontic treatment.