The orthodontic appliance is placed in order to obtain the correct bite. Straight teeth mean not only a nice smile, but also easier care for the cleanliness of the oral cavity and more effective prevention of caries and periodontitis. An orthodontic appliance allows you to straighten your teeth, heal malocclusions and often complexes.

Removable orthodontic appliances for children

Replacing deciduous teeth with permanent ones takes several years. The shape of the maxilla and mandible also change gradually. If parents find that milk babies are not growing straight, they should consult their orthodontist.

Removable braces (doctors call them functional) are most often recommended for children between 4 and 12 years of age. Wearing them makes the teeth lean in the right direction, the jaws expand accordingly, preparing a place for permanent teeth.

There are many factors that decide whether the treatment will be effective and will end with wearing a removable appliance , but perhaps the most important thing is the cooperation of the child and the parents with the doctor. Caregivers must be convinced that the camera will help to avoid more serious problems. Their role is to make sure that the child wears the braces as recommended by the orthodontist.

Such treatment requires great patience,because it may last several years. You also need to keep an eye on the dates of follow-up visits to check the progress of treatment and at the right time - as determined by the orthodontist, replace the appliance with a new one, larger or wider.

When to put on braces

Children are wearing permanent braces only when they have all permanent teeth. In adults, it can be done regardless of age, even after the age of forty or fifty (however, such a custom is born very slowly in Poland).

It happens, however, that in older people the braces alone are not enough,because a malocclusion may be caused by a defective structure of the maxilla or mandible. Then the intervention of a surgeon is necessary, who will correctly, but already surgically, place them in a model position.

Adult orthodontic treatment often has to be combined with prosthetic procedures or implantation. But sometimes, thanks to e.g. a small spacing of the tightened teeth, the insertion of artificial ones can be avoided.

Recently, but this is not possible in everyoneIn this case, lingual orthodontic appliances are used, which cannot be seen in the mouth even with the widest smile. Zippers (they do not injure the tongue and do not interfere with eating) are put on the teeth from the side of the tongue. The lingual appliance is easier to clean thoroughly than the traditional appliance. It is also a bit more expensive, and the doctor always decides to put it on.

Why straighten your teeth?

There are some good reasons to do this.

  • If both jaws fit together perfectly and the teeth are equal, the face gains more appearance.Its oval, profile will gain a natural shape, and the smile is full of grace.
  • Straightening your teeth allows you to eliminate or significantly reduce many speech defects.
  • Perfectly chewing food facilitates digestion and regular bowel movementsand protects the digestive system against many diseases.
  • Straight teeth are easier to protect against caries and gum diseases.

Teeth straightening is done by dentists - orthodontists. Their task is to correctly position the teeth, i.e. make them touch each other in the right places.

Important

Incorrect bite may cause speech impediments. These include:

- the pronunciation is incomprehensible and is referred to as gibberish.

Sepsis- some people speak clearly despite severe malocclusion, but most people pronounce individual sounds or whole syllables incorrectly. Permanent speech impediments do not grow out of. They can be removed by orthodontic treatment and learning the correct pronunciation from a speech therapist.

Preparation for brace insertion

If we notice (or the pediatrician or dentist tells us about it) that the child's teeth are not growing properly, we should go to the orthodontist as soon as possible. When it turns out that a camera is necessary, we will have several visits to prepare for it.

The first is the thorough cleaning (with special devices) of the teeth from plaque, tartar and subgingival calculus. It is also necessary to fill all cavities in the teeth. Without it, orthodontic treatment cannot be started. Professional cleansing is necessary to avoid gum and periodontal disease, which can develop faster after the braces are in place.

Before fitting and inserting the camera, apart from the traditional examination, you need to take a panoramic radiograph (panoramic x-ray of all teeth), a lateral image of the skull (cephalometry) and a photograph of the condition of the teethbefore starting treatment.

Finally, plaster impressions of all teeth are made, i.e. diagnostic models. They will be used to develop the perfect arrangement of the teeth and to select the appropriate appliance. Only after analyzing all tests and photos, the best treatment method for a given person is selected. Sometimes, before putting on the braces, it is sometimes necessary to remove some teeth so that both jaws can take on the proper shape.

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Putting braces on your teeth

In some patients orthodontic braces are put on immediately, and in others a week before the braces are put on, it may be necessary to perform the so-called braces. separation. The procedure involves placing special flexible elements between the molars, which create space for the rings to be placed later on the first molars (sometimes this also applies to other teeth).

After a week, another visit, during which the orthodontist removes elastic elements and places special rings on the molars. Only now can the braces be fitted. The so-called locks (metal or transparent), and a flexible wire (arch) is attached to them with ligatures. He will press against the teeth with the force determined by the doctor. Thanks to this, their roots are also corrected. All this so that the teeth stand in an even row. However, you should know thatwith large malocclusion requiring significant correction, metal brackets are recommended.

Then, every 4-5 weeks you have to make an appointment with the orthodontist for a check-up. He checks the position of the teeth, comparing their condition with the previously arranged (made of plaster casts) pattern and modifies the position of the braces.Depending on the type of defect and the treatment progress, it is worn for about two or three years( although in some cases the braces can be removed within 2 years).

Why does orthodontic treatment take so long?Teeth may require preparation for such treatment, eg periodontitis must first be healed, missing tooth inserted or removed. Sometimes patients have so tense muscles that before the examination, they first need to go to physical therapy to relax them at least a little. Orthodontic treatment does not hurt, althoughyou may feel a slight discomfort during the first days after inserting the braces.

What is allowed and what is not after putting on braces

After the braces are fitted, the teeth may be more sensitive, which can be especially felt while eating. However, this does not mean that you should switch to liquid or mushy foods.

Biting very muchhard food may cause the zipper to peel off. Therefore, apples, carrots or hard bread are better cut into small pieces.You also have to restrain yourself or limit your eating of sweets.The most dangerous are sticky bars, candies and chewing gums, because they are very difficult to remove from the camera parts.

Dirty brackets detach from the teeth more easily or the wire connecting them bends and pushes the teeth in the wrong direction. Adults and children should avoid carbonated drinks. The carbon dioxide they contain dissolves the glue with which the brackets are attached to the teeth. If we ever reach for a Coca Cola, for example, then we rinse our mouth with water and brush our teeth thoroughly with the toothpaste.

Don't do that

Nearly 80 percent defects arise in the first years of life. There are many factors that decide about it. The most important are:

  • Inappropriate pacifierstuffed into the mouth for any reason twists the teeth, deforms the soft bones of the jaw and mandible.
  • Feeding a baby with a teat bottle after the first year of life.The sooner the bottle is replaced with a spoon, the better it is for the proper shaping of the palate, jaw and mandible.
  • Feeding babies for many months in a lying or reclining position.With this positioning, the mandible (lower jaw) falls back. Joints and ligaments stretch and can no longer hold it in place. The lower jaw does not stick to the jaw and deforms.
  • Overgrown tonsilsand forced mouth breathing.
  • Feeding only mushy foods.For teeth to grow straight and gums to hold firmly, your child should bite.
  • Biting nails, pencils and sucking the thumb.If your child has these habits, he will most likely have a serious malocclusion in the future - upper teeth (incisors) or canines pushed forward.
  • Neglecting the treatment of milk teeth.If they are missing early, the bone will not develop and there will not be enough room for much larger permanent teeth. Instead of growing neatly in a row, they will break through one above the other, on the side of the gum or on the palate.

Invisalign Camera

Dr Robert BiałachDentist from the Stankowscy & Białach Clinic, member of the Polish Orthodontic Society

Abrasions on the lips and cheeks, food debris between the braces after eating, frequent breakdowns of the braces are common problems faced by people during orthodontic treatment. Most orthodontic defects can be healed with plastic aligners such as Invisalign® braces.

The process of treatment with such an apparatusit is much more comfortable than fixed braces. We do not have any metal elements stuck to our teeth, there is also no sharp "wire", so cheek rubbing is practically not a problem. Treatment with such a device is digitally designed, individually for each patient, and each aligner is perfectly matched to the teeth.

During treatment, attachments (tooth-colored composite tabs) are used, temporarily glued to the teeth. Thanks to them, the aligners perfectly "stick" to the teeth, and even the most complex movements are possible. Treatment with aligners may be shorter than with fixed braces, because the teeth gradually, aligner after alligator, move to the perfect position planned by the doctor.

When planning the treatment, the dentist influences the final position of the teeth and the sequence of movements, determines which teeth are affected by the aligner at a given time of treatment. Invisalign braces exert less force on the teeth than a standard fixed appliance, which reduces the sensitivity of the teeth during treatment.

Proper oral hygiene

If you wear permanent braces, it is very important to maintain proper hygiene. Not only to prevent tooth decay, but also to protect against gum disease. Someone who systematically neglects careful tooth cleaning cannot receive orthodontic treatment. Especially that maintaining proper oral hygiene becomes much more difficult after putting on the braces.

The toothbrush must accompany the patient everywhere: at home, at work and at school, because you need to brush your teeth carefully after each, even very modest meal.The sediment deposited on them, pressed between the elements of the apparatus, will significantly accelerate the development of caries and difficult-to-treat gum diseases.

If the disease develops to such an extent that it is necessary to remove the camera, treatment will be stopped, regardless of the stage of the treatment. Therefore, teeth equipped with fixed braces should not only be thoroughly washed, but also rinsed with water with the addition of special dental fluids and the spaces between them should be cleaned with dental floss.

Orthodontic appliances can also cause painful damage to the oral mucosa. These changes are difficult to treat due to the constant irritation of the delicate mucosa by hard parts of the apparatus. It happens that the pain is caused by daily activities such as drinking, eating, talking, brushing teeth. In such a situation, infections may also occur.

It is worth applying local pharmacotherapy right away - with the help of an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic andcreating a protective layer on the wound surface that will accelerate healing. It is worth adjusting the form of the preparation to the type and location of the lesion and the patient's age. For the treatment of single and easily accessible lesions in the oral cavity, a soothing and regenerating gel will be ideal.

According to an expertMaciej Nowak, MD, PhD, periodontist, dentist, lecturer at the Medical University of Warsaw

"A person wearing an orthodontic appliance should clean their teeth using special brushes for appliances. It is important to clean the teeth with a dry toothbrush, not a one moistened with warm water.

Brushing your teeth alone is not enough. You should use mouthwash preparations, which, used before brushing, will soften the biofilm on hard-to-reach tooth surfaces and parts of the appliance, making it easier to remove. These preparations also have an antibacterial and reminaralizing effect on enamel.

Irrigators are a significant help in maintaining proper oral hygiene in people using fixed appliances. These mouthwash solutions can be used instead of water. A precise stream of solution, directed under the right pressure, will clean hard-to-reach places.

Mobile (removable) appliances are usually made of acrylic and require hygienic procedures similar to removable dentures. They should be brushed with a special denture brush (not toothbrush), using soap (not toothpaste). Once a month, the braces should be soaked for about an hour in a denture cleaning solution and then cleaned with a brush. "

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About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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Dentistry and Orthodontics