What is orthodontics?
Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. The word "orthodontics" derives from the Latin words "orthos," meaning straight, and "dontos," meaning tooth.
Who is an orthodontist?
An orthodontist is a dentist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. Becoming an orthodontist requires first completing dental school and then completing a specialist or doctoral program, which can take four years or more. During this training, an orthodontist learns the necessary knowledge to control tooth movement (the general name for these procedures is orthodontics) and guide facial development (this treatment approach can be called jaw and facial orthopedics). Only dentists who have successfully completed this specialist or doctoral program can use the title of orthodontist.
What are the possible causes of orthodontic disorders?
1- The opportunities offered by preventive medicine to patients may not have been utilized; for example, decay in primary teeth may not have been treated with the mindset that "it will change anyway," teeth may have been extracted prematurely, and fluoride and fissure sealant applications may have been ignored.
2- Genetic factors: Especially in individuals with skeletal abnormalities, it's important to consider whether there's a similar anomaly in the family history. Hereditary missing teeth, a narrow upper jaw, and crookedness can also be passed down to the child. In such cases, orthodontic problems are inevitable. The key is to take the child to regular dental checkups, starting with the primary teeth.
3- Ear-nose-throat problems: (such as tonsillitis, nasal and adenoidal inflammation, constant mouth breathing) can hinder the formation of jaw bones and cause tooth eruption disorders.
4- Bad habits: Bad habits such as thumb sucking, using a pacifier or bottle for a long time, sucking the tongue, sucking the lips, and biting the pencil can also cause orthodontic disorders in the teeth and jaw structures..
5- Some muscle disorders can also cause orthodontic problems.
What is the age limit for orthodontic treatment?
Orthodontic treatment can be applied at any age. If there are no skeletal problems and only teeth are crooked, these irregularities can be corrected with orthodontic treatment at any age. The patient's age only affects the movement and duration of treatment. However, if there are skeletal problems, these irregularities can be corrected with orthopedic treatment approaches until the end of adolescence. In adulthood, such skeletal problems can be corrected with orthodontic treatment combined with orthognathic surgery. Today, teeth can be straightened with invisible braces (clear brackets), braces attached to the back of the teeth (lingual technique), and clear molds (Invisalign).
How necessary is orthodontic treatment?
Orthodontic treatment corrects misaligned teeth and jaw misalignments. It not only addresses aesthetics but also helps prevent future gum disease and jaw joint problems, as well as improving chewing function and speech disorders. Orthodontic treatment, more commonly known as the correction of misaligned teeth, encompasses a variety of treatment techniques. Depending on the specific orthodontic problem in the mouth, treatments can be performed with removable, functional, and fixed appliances. Less complex orthodontic problems can be addressed with removable plastic appliances that can be inserted and removed by the patient. Functional appliances, which help the jaws develop in a specific direction during growth and development, are used to address underdevelopment or overdevelopment of the upper or lower jaw. Fixed appliances, which have recently become more prevalent in orthodontic treatment, operate by moving teeth using wires placed in grooves on brackets, which are bonded to the teeth. In addition to these basic appliances, many other auxiliary appliances are available. After active orthodontic treatment is completed, retention treatments are also crucial to prevent relapses and deterioration. Various passive appliances are used during this treatment period.
Essentially, the main goals of orthodontic treatment are to correct chewing function, improve speech function, help maintain better oral hygiene, ensure aesthetics, and provide psychological support by increasing the patient's self-confidence in society.
Orthodontists can also work with ear, nose, and throat specialists to help patients breathe through their noses. They also collaborate with plastic surgeons and maxillofacial surgeons to address skeletal problems in adult patients and to treat infants and children with cleft lip and palate.
Orthodontics constantly works together with other branches of dentistry.
It is a proven fact that decay in milk teeth and premature extraction of milk teeth cause orthodontic disorders and permanent teeth remain embedded in the jawbone.
What is the importance of milk teeth in orthodontic terms?
Primary teeth begin to erupt in a specific order starting around the sixth month after birth, and by approximately the age of 2.5, all primary teeth have erupted. A total of 20 primary teeth, both in the upper and lower jaws, remain in the mouth until the age of 6. From this age until the age of 12, all primary teeth are gradually replaced by permanent teeth. During this transition period, extensive decay and premature tooth loss in primary teeth can cause misalignment, which can lead to impacted permanent teeth, as teeth further back move into these spaces. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain healthy primary teeth.
Conditions occurring during the primary dentition are not solely responsible for the development of orthodontic disorders. Orthodontic problems can also be passed down genetically from parents or older family members to children. Furthermore, inadequate breastfeeding during infancy, bottle-feeding, and pacifier use, as well as childhood habits such as thumb sucking, lip sucking, tongue thrusting, and mouth breathing, can also lead to orthodontic problems. If mouth breathing prevents nasal breathing, an ear, nose, and throat specialist should be consulted to address these issues.