Orthodontia, also known as orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, was the first specialty created in the field of dentistry. An orthodontist is a specialist who has undergone special training in a dental school or college after he/she has graduated in dentistry. The specialty deals primarily with the diagnosis, prevention and correction of malpositioned teeth and the jaws.
What Do Orthodontists Do?
The top reason for seeing an orthodontist is the same for adults and kids – to treat malocclusion, or a “bad bite.”
Orthodontists help straighten teeth and improve your bite by correcting how your teeth fit together and how your jaws line up.
They use braces, trays (also known as aligners), and other appliances — such as headgear, which attach around the head or neck to add more force to help make teeth move. They also use retainers to hold teeth in position.
General dentists often refer patients to orthodontists and sometimes medical doctors such as pediatricians do, too. That’s more likely to happen if a child “doesn’t like their teeth and is being teased about them,” says Michael B. Rogers, DDS, president of the AAO and an orthodontist in Augusta, Ga.
To become an orthodontist, someone must complete four years of dental school, then two to three years of specialized study in orthodontics.
Most general dentists can treat minor orthodontic problems and some do orthodontic work. But they’re more likely to refer complicated cases to an orthodontist.
Methods
For comprehensive orthodontic treatment, metal wires are inserted into orthodontic brackets (braces), which can be made from stainless steel or a more aesthetic ceramic material. The wires interact with the brackets to move teeth into the desired positions. Invisalign or other aligner trays consist of clear plastic trays that move teeth. Functional appliances are often used to redirect jaw growth.
OrthoClinic uses various types of brackets for the correct tooth alignment:
Traditional metal brackets – They are the most common type, made of stainless steel and they have the option to add color rubber bands for a unique and colorful smile.
Traditional sapphire brackets – They are the best quality aesthetics brackets because they don’t tint nor change colors during treatment, they are seen through because of their crystalline structure.
Self-Ligating metal brackets – They are denominated passive, interactive or active. They have a clip designed made of flexible chrome-cobalt, that interacts in the arch to correct dental malocclusion. They are last generation brackets with less patient discomfort, rapid corrections and excellent results.
Additional components—including removable appliances (“plates”), headgear, expansion appliances, and many other devices—may also be used to move teeth and jaw bones. Functional appliances, for example, are used in growing patients (age 5 to 14) with the aim of modifying the jaw dimensions and relationship if these are altered. This therapy, termed Dentofacial Orthopedics, is frequently followed by fixed multibracket therapy (“full braces”) to align the teeth and refine the occlusion.
Hawley retainers are the most common type of retainers. This picture shows retainers for the top and bottom of the mouth.
Orthodontia is the specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the treatment of improper bites and crooked teeth. Orthodontic treatment can help fix the patient’s teeth and set them in the right place. Orthodontists usually use braces and clear aligners to set the patient’s teeth. Orthodontists work on reconstructing the entire face rather than focusing only on teeth. After a course of active orthodontic treatment, patients will typically wear retainers (orthodontic devices), which help to maintain the teeth in their improved positions while surrounding bone reforms around them. The retainers are generally worn full-time for a period, anywhere from just a few days to a year, then part-time (typically, nightly during sleep) for as long as the orthodontist recommends. It is possible for the teeth to stay aligned without regular retainer wear. However, there are many reasons teeth will crowd as a person ages, whether or not the individual ever experienced orthodontic treatment; thus there is no guarantee that teeth will stay aligned without retention. For this reason, many orthodontists prescribe night-time or part-time retainer wear for many years after orthodontic treatment (potentially for life). Adult orthodontic patients are more likely to need lifetime retention.
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