What do you know about orthodontics?

Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that corrects teeth and jaws that are positioned improperly. A specialist in this field is called an orthodontist. Orthodontists receive two or more years of education beyond their years in dental school.

If you’re feeling self-conscious and concerned about crooked or protruding teeth, you’re not alone. Not everyone has naturally perfect alignment, but thanks to orthodontics, you can have just that. Orthodontic treatment will straighten the teeth or move them into a better position. This can improve their appearance and the way the teeth bite together, while also making them easier to clean.

Based on diagnostic tools that include a full medical and dental health history, a clinical exam, plaster models of your teeth, and special X-rays and photographs, an orthodontist or dentist can decide whether orthodontics are recommended, and develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.

Orthodontic misalignments, called malocclusions, can indicate a number of different conditions. Inherited malocclusions include jaw growth problems, congenitally missing teeth, extra teeth, crowded or protruded teeth, and spacing problems. However, the premature loss of baby teeth, retention of baby teeth, thumb- or finger-sucking, accidents and certain types of dental disease can also result in a need for orthodontic treatment.

If you have any of the following, you may be a candidate for orthodontic treatment:

• Overbite, sometimes called “buck teeth” — where the upper front teeth lie too far forward (stick out) over the lower teeth
• Underbite — a “bulldog” appearance where the lower teeth are too far forward or the upper teeth too far back
• Crossbite — when the upper teeth do not come down slightly in front of the lower teeth when biting together normally
• Open bite — space between the biting surfaces of the front and/or side teeth when the back teeth bite together
• Misplaced midline— when the center of your upper front teeth does not line up with the center of your lower front teeth
• Spacing — gaps, or spaces, between the teeth as a result of missing teeth or teeth that do not “fill up” the mouth
• Crowding — when there are too many teeth for the dental ridge to accommodate.

The best time to see your orthodontist is generally during childhood, but adults can have orthodontic treatment too – and more and more are doing so.

Age is less important than having the right number of teeth. In children, it may be necessary to wait for enough teeth to come through before starting treatment.