Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that diagnoses and controls the harmony relationships of incompatible and crooked teeth, tries to prevent this situation and treats it.
Why do orthodontic problems occur and how are they treated?
The treatment method is decided by considering the patient’s age, such as the lower jaw being forward or backward. If the patient is in adolescence and the lower-upper jaw structure is backward, treatment is possible with orthodontic techniques. If the patient is an adult, the treatment of skeletal disorders is carried out in cooperation with orthodontics and surgery. Depending on functional disorders, for example; jaw disharmony can be observed in cases such as mouth breathing. In a person who breathes through the mouth, the upper part of the jaw will be narrow and will be in a V shape.
Situations that should not be done and that have been formed as habits, such as using baby bottles and pacifiers for a long time, thumb sucking, nail biting, can cause orthodontic disorders. These habits should be treated as early as possible.
Preventing these habits at an early age is important for the completion of skeletal development.
Situations such as the tongue being larger than it should be in terms of structure and the presence of extracted tooth gaps also cause gaps in the teeth. If the jaw structure where the teeth are attached is small and the teeth are large; the teeth do not fit into the jaw and crookedness occurs.
Early or late milk tooth losses can also cause crooked teeth. Instead of milk teeth falling out of the mouth prematurely, the existing permanent teeth in the mouth slide into this gap. Since the teeth that should come out cannot find a place for themselves, crookedness occurs.
How necessary is orthodontic treatment?
Orthodontic treatment does not only have aesthetic concerns, it also aims to prevent gum diseases that may be encountered in the future, to prevent problems in the jaw joint, to provide chewing functionality and to eliminate this problem of individuals with speech disorders.
Depending on the existing orthodontic problem in the mouth, treatment methods can be determined with removable appliances, functional appliances and fixed appliances. Simple orthodontic problems that are not in advanced stages can be solved with rubber removable appliances that the patient can use by inserting and removing.
It is of great importance that the treatments performed after the completion of primary orthodontic treatments are reversed and that reinforcement treatments are not neglected to prevent deterioration. Different passive appliances can be used for this period.
The orthodontics branch works in constant collaboration with other sub-branches of dentistry.