What Does Orthodontics Aim To Treat?

Someone might say I need an emergency dentist for a tooth extraction so for them Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that specializes with diagnosis, treatment and prevention of malocclusions. Malocclusions are the problems in the alignment of jaws and teeth.

The term orthodontics came from Greek words, orthos which means straight and dontos meaning teeth. It was discovered that the tools for aligning teeth are used since the Egyptian times. However, formal documents pertaining to orthodontics appeared in mid 1800s. Although Norman Kingsley published A Treatise on Oral Deformities as a Branch of Mechanical Surgery which was one of the first textbooks that dealt with orthodontics, it was Edward H. Angle who declared orthodontics a specialty. Also, he founded the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) and the first independent school for orthodontics.

Orthodontics aims to treat the following problems:

1. Spaced teeth- this can result from unusual tongue activity, different sizes of jaw and teeth. This condition can affect one’s appearance and speech. Treatments may involve braces to close the gaps and straighten the teeth.

2. Protruded teeth- this is caused when the upper jaw is positioned forward than the lower jaw. In severe cases, the lower lip may sit behind the upper teeth or the lower front teeth may damage the gums of the upper front teeth. Treatments of this condition may include braces or headgear, elastics and functional appliances for growing patients. However, if the growth is already complete, jaw surgery may be considered or necessary.

3. Cross- bite- this can cause uneven closing of the jaw putting stress to jaw joint and can lead to tempero- mandibular joint problems. Also, the permanent incisor teeth may emerge through the gum in cross- bite. Treatments involve the use of permanent or temporary appliances to push the offending teeth into normal position. Extraction of the said teeth may also be necessary to provide sufficient space.

4. Open- bite- this is caused by unusual tongue habit and can result to speech difficulties as well as eating problems. Also, excessive wear of teeth that do contact can be experienced. Though it can be corrected with braces, it is more likely to recur if the tongue habits are not corrected.

5. Deep- bite – or also known as over- bite is a condition that can be observed when the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth. Sometimes, the upper teeth cover the lower teeth completely in severe cases. Deep- bite can cause damage to the gums behind the upper teeth and excessive strain on jaw joints.

6. Under bite- this is the opposite of deep- bite. The lower teeth were the one overlapping the front teeth. It can also cause jaw joint strain and unattractive appearance. Treatment involves braces, headgear or elastics as well as jaw surgery if needed in severe cases.

7. Crowded Teeth- this can result from irregular tooth and jaw size. Common treatment for this condition is using braces to align the teeth. Sometimes, tooth extraction is also performed to provide sufficient space for the teeth to align properly.

8. Missing teeth- this results to wider gaps and unattractive appearance. Also, opposing teeth might move into space and create additional problems. Orthodontic treatment involves moving the teeth to correct position and put prostheses on the gap. However, prostheses are not necessary in some cases especially when correctly positioning the teeth fills the space.

9. Ectopic teeth- this condition pertains to teeth that developed on the wrong position. Ectopic tooth can be moved into correct position by using braces.

10. Impacted teeth- this condition occurs if there is a lack of sufficient space for the teeth to erupt. This can be treated by providing the said space needed.

11. Thumb sucking- this habit can create deformation with the teeth and its supporting bones. Once this habit is corrected, natural correction can occur.

During orthodontic diagnosis, patient’s medical history is important as some drugs or medicines for different pre- existing condition can affect the growth or movement of teeth or bones. Examples of these are, Dilantin, an antiepileptic drug that can cause gingival hyperplasia while Ritalin for Attention Deficit Hypersensitivity Disorder (ADHD) and bisphosphonates can affect growth rates. Also, allergies to some materials used for orthodontic treatments must be noted. Most common allergies are to nickel which can be found in most wires and to latex which can be found in some elastic materials.