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Orthodontic Braces For Crooked Teeth

The need and different types of Orthodontic braces.

Crooked teeth

Crooked teeth are a very common dental flaw in many people. In case of some, the mouth is too small for the teeth due to which the teeth get crowded and shift. Sometimes, the upper and lower jaws do not have the same size or are malformed, due to which there is an overbite or excessive protrusion of the upper jaw or an under bite. The lower jaw protrudes forward due to which the lower jaw and teeth extend outward beyond the upper teeth. The different causes of crooked teeth are:

• Genetics
• Tumors of the mouth or jaw
• Periodontal disease
• Undue pressure on the teeth and gums
• Improper fit of dental restorations
• Childhood habits like tongue thrusting, prolonged thumb sucking
• Misalignment of jaw after severe facial injury
• Very small jaw for accommodating erupting teeth
• Early loss of baby or adult teeth

Orthodontic braces

These are also called as Dental braces. They are used to correct alignment of teeth and their position with regard to bite. These are used along with other orthodontic appliances to create spaces between teeth, shape the teeth and jaws and widen the palate or jaws. The force applied by the archwire forces the tooth in a given direction. Stress is created in the periodontal ligament. As the periodontal blood supply is modified, the biological response leads to bone remodeling. The bone is created on one side by osteoblast cells. This is resorbed on the opposite side by osteoclasts. Bone resorption is of two types. Direct resorption starts from the lining cells of the alveolar bone. In indirect or retrograde resorption, osteoclasts start the activity in the neighbor bone marrow. When the periodontal ligament has become acellular for an excessive amount and duration of compressive stress. The quantity of bone resorbed is more than the quantity of newly formed bone. Bone resorption occurs only in the compressed periodontal ligament.

Types of Dental braces

Ceramic braces : These are made of composite materials. They are generally strong and do not stain. The popular brands are Clarity and Transcend made by 3M Unitek and Mystique made by GAC. As these blend in with the teeth and can be less noticed than metal, they are a favorite among adults. The ligatures that hold the arch wire on the ceramic brackets are white or clear.

Metal braces : These can be silver or golden. As the golden one look like jewelry, they are a popular choice among young women. They are very strong. Initally, the gums may get irritated, but after few weeks, the cheeks get toughened up. An elastic o-shaped rubber band called a ligature is used to hold the arch wire onto the bracket. Sometimes these elastic ligatures can be substituted by metal tie wires. A type of metal bracket called the “Viazi” or “FastBraces” is triangular and uses a low-force square wire. This technique has less pain and sensitivity. The crown and root of the teeth are moved simultaneously, from the start of treatment with generally one square wire.

Invisalign braces : There are strong plastic trays that are fabricated specially. Additionally, they are invisible. If the bite is not extremely off and the teeth are not severely crooked, then this type is a good choice. It becomes possible to straighten the teeth without anyone knowing that the person is wearing braces.

Brand braces : These are made of pure monocrystalline sapphire and are very translucent. These are very strong and do not stain. If the teeth are very white, they would look very good on you and seem to disappear on the teeth.

Lingual braces : These are placed behind the teeth and hence are invisible to other people. Generally, they are made of metal. Orthodontists are in need of special training to be able to treat patients with lingual braces.

Need of use

Some other uses are aligning the upper and lower jaws, improving the aesthetics of smiles and faces and relieving pressure on temporomandibular joints (TMJ). Braces are used as the last treatment of TMJ therapy. Problems of TMJ are generally increased by the lower jaw being placed far back so that the blood vessels and nerves of the TMJ are compressed. TMJ splint therapy is used to relieve this pressure and decrease pain.

Fitting of braces

Dental braces are fitted by a dentist or orthodontist. Full dental examination is carried out, X-rays are taken and then plaster molds of the teeth are made. After it is finalized that dental braces are the best option, treatment can be started as soon as there are enough permanent or adult teeth available. As per the molds, the devices are made and then individual brackets are fitted to each tooth. Small wires or elastics are used to hook between the brackets.

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