ORTHODONTICS

Orthodontics is a specialty of dental medicine that studies, prevents and corrects developmental alterations, the shapes of the dental arches and the position of the jaws, with the aim of restoring balance in both shape and function of the mouth and of the face, also improving facial aesthetics.

When is orthodontics advisable?

Orthodontics can correct several dental problems, such as:

Bite Problems

• Overbite: When lower teeth fit inside of upper teeth.
• Crossbite: When upper teeth fit inside of lower teeth.
• Anterior crossbite: If the front teeth are in crossbite, the top teeth are behind the bottom teeth.
• Open bite: It occurs when the back teeth are together, and the upper and lower front teeth do not overlap.
• Misalignment of the medium line: The medium line of the upper teeth does not match the medium line of the lower teeth.

Other dental problems

• Diastemas/spacing: these refer to a gap or space between the teeth, such gaps can increase the probability of suffering from periodontal disease.
• Crowding: If the jaw is not big enough, the teeth could start overlapping in order to fit. Such condition could make them hard to clean, and open the doors for possible cavities and gum diseases.
• Non-treated malocclusions could become joint problems (TMJ), speech and chewing problems, gum problems and premature ware of certain teeth.