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You may not have been lucky enough to have that picture-perfect smile. A visit to an orthodontist may make a massive difference in improving your teeth quality and overall smile. Using braces, your orthodontist can help correct the crowding of your teeth, misaligned teeth, or crooked teeth.

Orthodontic Issues

Crowding

Crowding occurs when the space in your mouth is insufficient to accommodate all of your teeth. A crowded mouth is challenging to floss, and due to this difficulty in oral hygiene, you may end up with tooth decay or dental caries. When crowding is noticed, especially at a young age, a visit to your orthodontist will help your loved ones have properly erupted teeth. Early correction prevents problems from occurring in the future.

Bite

You may notice that when you take a bite off a slice of toast, for example, your upper and lower teeth fail to meet correctly. Malocclusion (improper bite) may affect how your teeth look and the overall shape of your face. Malocclusion can be divided into:

• An open bite where you notice an opening between your lower and upper jaws and teeth after clenching your jaws
• An under-bite where your lower teeth are forward and your upper teeth are back in comparison
• A deep bite or overbite when your upper teeth are too far forward relative to your lower teeth

The major problem associated with malocclusion is you end up wearing down your teeth prematurely and may need some dental work in your old age.

Improper Eruption

You remember when you were young and lost your first set of teeth, the new set of permanent teeth erupted through your gums. When you have an improper eruption, your teeth erupt part way, in the wrong place, or at an improper angle. Braces, tooth extraction, and aligners are the various options your orthodontist may weigh to correct an improper eruption.

Teeth may also be stuck under the gum surface. Impaction is common and, when diagnosed and treated early, does not lead to any serious unwanted effects. Impaction is common for wisdom teeth. Primary extractions and early expansion of the jaw helps with impaction.

Spacing

You may notice unnatural gaps between your teeth. While crowding is undesirable, excessive spacing is also not ideal. Most people have improper spacing between the two front incisors, but the problem may occur elsewhere in the mouth. Excessive spacing exposes your gum to bacterial infections and may lead to tooth decay and gingivitis.

Understanding Braces

Braces are dental tools that help correct the problems mentioned above with your or a loved one’s teeth. While braces are a common feature in teenagers, adults may get them too. When worn, braces slowly align, straighten and correct your teeth, allowing you to get a normal bite and perfect your smile. Once you have any teeth alignment problems or an overbite, a visit to an orthodontist is ideal. An experienced, licensed professional with sound equipment and dedicated staff such as Las Vegas Orthodontics is your best bet. Find a company that offers braces, retainers, and other dental needs to ensure that you and your loved ones have good oral health.

Different Types of Braces

There are types of braces available. These include:

Traditional Braces

These are made from high-grade stainless steel with metal brackets attached to each tooth with cement. A thin wire links the brackets together, putting pressure on your teeth and slowly forcing them to move to the desired position. Arch-wires are connected to the brackets by tiny elastic ligatures or o-rings, which the orthodontist replaces every time the braces are tightened. You may also get self-ligating braces that do not have o-rings.

Ceramic Braces

The ceramic braces are like traditional braces, but they are made of clear transparent ceramic material. Due to their transparent nature, ceramic braces are very common for adult populations. Ceramic braces may have some discoloration of the elastic bit and often result in stained teeth.

Self-Ligating Braces

Self-ligating braces have a slide mechanism connecting the brackets instead of arch-wires. The braces are trendy and allow teeth to move slowly without adjusting, resulting in fewer dental visits. Due to the lesser friction and pressure applied to your teeth by self-adjusting braces, correcting your teeth becomes less painful and more comfortable. Self-adjusting braces are also easier to clean. They also offer the additional advantage of fewer dental visits, and the overall process becomes cheaper.

Conclusion

Other than braces, you may opt for aligners, forsus appliances for children, and palatal expanders for an overcrowded mouth. You are advised to make regular visits to your dental professional to ensure that you maintain optimal dental health.