What is Orthodontics?

It is common knowledge that we are drawn to people with a beautiful smile. Indeed, a fabulous smile can make the most ordinary looking person attractive. When you look in the mirror are you happy with your smile? Does your smile look as good as it did when you were younger? Your smile is the most important feature on your face. Wouldn't it be great if you looked fabulous?

Our Orthodontist can help you achieve this? This is the branch of dentistry that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. The technical term for these problems is "malocclusion," which means "bad bite." The practice of orthodontics requires professional skill in the design, application and control of corrective appliances, such as braces, to bring teeth, lips and jaws into proper alignment and to achieve facial balance.

The brace will not mark the teeth. If dental plaque is allowed to become thick around the brace the plaque itself may damage the teeth. Instruction will be given on the use of special brushes. A daily fluoride mouth rinse can be used to harden areas that are very difficult to clean. Care must be taken to choose an alcohol-free, pH-balanced rinse. Certain foods and drinks may also lead to damage. You should avoid drinking lots of fizzy drinks and keep in-between-meal snacks to a minimum.

Very crunchy and sticky foods can break your brace. Toffee and chewing gum must be avoided. Really enjoyable hard foods can be chopped up and chewed gently!

It is important to realise that once a brace is removed the teeth can drift back towards their original positions. They must, therefore, be held in their new positions for a long time with retainer braces until they have settled. Retainers are either removable appliances or thin wires stuck onto the tongue side of the teeth.

After braces are removed, the teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.