What is Orthodontics?
Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry that involves changing the position of teeth in your mouth, using braces or other orthodontic technologies. Using either brackets & wires or clear aligners, orthodontics can reposition your teeth in a variety of ways. It can straighten rotated teeth, separate crowded or overlapped teeth & close gaps between teeth.
Improve Your Smile With Orthodontics
Improving your smile with orthodontics can increase your confidence & self-esteem. But straight teeth are beneficial for more than just your appearance. When teeth are not properly aligned, they can be difficult to clean well enough to prevent tooth decay. If you can’t get the floss between your teeth to clean out plaque, you risk unchecked tooth decay & gum disease.
Additionally, orthodontics can be used to treat problems with how the teeth of your upper & lower jaws line up, known as your bite. Called malocclusion by dentists, you might have an underbite, overbite, or crossbite that can cause a host of issues. For example, misaligned teeth may rub against each other or collide, wearing them down unnecessarily; or a misaligned jaw may cause TMD symptoms, such as pain in the head, neck, or shoulders.
The Best Time For Orthodontic Treatment
The best time to get orthodontic treatment is between the ages of 10 & 14 while the teeth are still moving into their final places. However, teeth move throughout life, so there isn’t a bad time to get treatment. In fact, adults are straightening their teeth more commonly these days due to the benefits of both the appearance & functionality of straight teeth, as well as the increased options available to them.
Traditional braces, using metal brackets & wires, are still common, but cost & treatment times have gone up instead of down. FastBraces® system was created to be quick, with treatment as short as six months. Not only has the time significantly been reduced, but at Fast Braces® Fresno, the cost has also been reduced. There are also ceramic or plastic options that are less visible than metal brackets. And, of course, clear aligners are very popular because they are not visible & can be removed. Each person is unique, therefore a free, no-obligation evaluation is the best way to see what options are available for your treatment.
Orthodontic treatments can give you the beautiful & straight smile you desire, but they can also benefit your oral health. So while you’ll certainly have a more beautiful smile at the end of your orthodontic treatment, you’ll also have a more functional, healthier smile!
We are proud to offer a range of orthodontics options for our patients. If you are interested in orthodontics for either cosmetic or functional reasons, please start a discussion with us about your options.
