A PERFECT SMILE

For many people, both children and adults, achieving a healthy and perfect smile is often the main reason for choosing to have an orthodontic care. For anyone who is self-conscious about their smile, addressing these concerns can be done by the use of braces, which will greatly improve appearance and self esteem. Once the orthodontic treatment has been completed, they will be able to show off that new great smile with renewed confidence.

The Aim of Orthodontics

The way a smile is portrayed to other people is through the use of facial movement in conjunction with the teeth and lips. If the teeth are crooked, misaligned or there are simply too many of them, this will show up in the smile.
While speaking face to face with another person the relationship between the features of the face are drawn together and the person responding to you may be influenced by this interrelationship. For those people who know each other well, these features are barely noticeable. However, when encountering a new relationship the characteristics that are revealed through facial movements, such as smiling and laughing appear more obvious. The completion of orthodontic procedures allows patients to feel confident when they smile.

Orthodontic Procedures

Orthodontics is concerned with gently moving the teeth so that they are better aligned and straighter in appearance. This means manipulating the teeth in certain directions to achieve a better smile and a more desirable facial appearance through the use of braces. There is nothing worse for either a young person or an adult to have a single front tooth, or many front teeth, protruding at different angles. It not only makes biting more difficult, but the smile looks as crooked as the teeth.
Before braces are fitted correctly, digital images are taken of the teeth and a mathematical formula is used to determine what should be the correct angles of the teeth. This is done so that the new appearance of the face will create the best smile possible.
There are various orthodontic devices used to improve teeth alignment which are made of plastic, metal or ceramic. Some of the devices referred to as brackets can be removed, while others are fixed in position for the duration of the treatment process. By placing a continuous but gentle force in a carefully monitored direction, braces slowly reposition the teeth. The products used today are less noticeable and have been designed to reposition teeth far faster and with a greater degree of comfort.

Orthodontic Treatment Options and Time

The orthodontist will discuss treatment options as some patients are better suited to traditional braces, while others are suited to Invisalign. Both adults and children are assessed in the same way. Once a decision is made, then the patient can decide if the treatment and timeframe suits them. Orthodontic treatment times can vary depending on the condition of the teeth and can be as short as nine months or as long as three years. Invisalign is generally faster than the use of the more traditional braces. If the mouth suffers from overcrowding then it might be necessary to remove the offending teeth. In the end, though, an orthodontist is the best and most skilled person to achieve that perfect smile.