Here I answer some of the questions that many patients ask me. Further, I also talk about some of the important facts that can help hasten treatment, make it easier and more comfortable for you while achieving amazing results. 

Questions: 

Is orthodontic treatment only cosmetic or are there medical benefits to straightening my teeth?

Besides the cosmetic benefits of having a beautiful smile, orthodontic treatment has several crucial benefits for your orofacial health. The most basic benefit is to align the teeth and to enable efficient self cleansing process. The way a healthy occlusion, how your top and bottom teeth make contact, is designed by nature such that when we eat food the process of self cleansing helps us remove most of the plaque. Reduction of plaque has a huge impact on minimizing cavity and gum problems. 

Why do we even need orthodontic treatment? How come was it less common back in the day?

Nowadays, our diet consists of softer food and therefore the size of the jaw has adapted to become smaller than that of our ancestors’. Also your parents might both have perfect teeth but if you inherit the size of the jaw from one parent and the size of your teeth from another, that can affect your teeth alignment. * 

Does orthodontic treatment need to be done only at a certain age or can adults also benefit from orthodontic treatment?

There are several benefits in getting orthodontic treatment at a  younger age, including faster tooth movement. Children are more resilient and will achieve better cosmetic results, since the gum and bone tissues around the teeth heal much faster and adapt better to the new position. There are also benefits in taking advantage of growth that happens during early age. ** We can redirect some of that growth in many cases, which will significantly affect results. Cases of overbite and underbite that can be treated by early orthodontic intervention. Early treatment can also greatly reduce the need for surgery in the future. 

Having said that, there are still benefits getting braces as an adult. The process is slower but it is still possible to correct an imperfect smile or bite.  The orthodontic treatment in adults has improved tremendously within the last few years. With new technologies we can now overcome a lot of problems including achieving faster tooth movement, and even gaining cosmetic and health results that were not possible just a few years ago.  Often, adults who found the traditional form of orthodontic treatment too constraining for their daily lives can now use clear aligners and other treatments such as lingual braces and Invisalign, which are more discrete and compatible with their lifestyles.

Besides traditional braces and Invisalign are there any other options?

Yes lingual braces and Brius are new trends that can correct more complex cases. 

Do traditional braces provide any benefits over Invisalign?

Some patients benefit more from traditional braces because compliance with removable aligners may be a challenge for certain, especially young patients. Further, some challenging cases may not be treated using aligners. The best person to answer this question is your orthodontist. After reviewing your case, I will be able to provide you with treatment options that best fit your situation.

I’m happy to answer more of your pressing ortho questions, and help you obtain your picture perfect smile!

* Am J Phys Anthropol, . 1997 Aug;103(4):497-505. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199708)103:4<497::AID-AJPA7>3.0.CO;2-K.”Diet and discrepancy between tooth and jaw size in the Yin-Shang period of China” R Sakashita 1, N Inoue, Q Pan, H Zhu. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9292167. 

**  Orthodontic treatment for crowded teeth in children. Turner S, Harrison JE, Sharif FN, Owens D, Millett DT. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Dec 31;12(12):CD003453. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003453.pub2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34970995.