Having a perfect smile can boost your confidence and raise your self-esteem. However, you can have a mispositioned jaw or teeth, which takes your perfect smile away. However, Santa Clarita Skyline Smiles orthodontic providers led by board-certified pediatric dentist Harleen Grewal, DDS, can help you regain your smile and make it better. Therefore, worry no more as this is a way to correct your mispositioned jaw or teeth. Here is how.
Understanding Orthodontics
This is a complex specialty in dentistry that involves using custom oral appliances to reposition crowded and crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw. The appliances straighten your teeth, straightening your bite and improving your smile. Additionally, with your teeth straightened, you become less likely to experience oral health complications such as gum disease and tooth decay.
The orthodontics include:
- Creation of custom orthodontic treatment plans.
- The diagnosis and treatment of misaligned teeth and jaw.
- Monitoring of the jawline of children and teenagers.
- Performing teeth straightening surgery when necessary.
Orthodontic Treatment Options
Although most people only think of braces when it comes to orthodontic treatment, several dental appliances can be used to correct your mispositioned jaw or teeth. They include the following:
Clear Aligners such as Invisalign are an excellent choice when the teeth are out of their proper position.
Metal braces that push and pull the teeth into their better position are effective in cases of aggressive movements and where a great deal of space is required.
Retainers are mainly prescribed after a major orthodontic treatment to ensure that the teeth remain in their proper position and won’t get back to their former spot.
Archwires are used with or without braces to correct tooth positioning. They are made in the shape of your dental arch and are fixed at the very beginning of your orthodontic treatment.
Mouthguards are used during sports and exercises to protect the teeth from a traumatic injury. Fitted mouthguards can become a part of any lifestyle that increases the risk of oral injuries.
Other appliances include headgear, expanders, space maintainers, oral splints, and many more.
How to Choose an Orthodontist
As noted, orthodontic care is complex and requires additional expertise from general dentistry. Therefore, it is good to be careful when choosing your provider as it would be better to have one who will attend to your needs more effectively. Consider the following:
- Qualifications of your provider.
- Time consciousness and the willingness of the orthodontist to accommodate your schedule.
- Dental insurances accepted
- Additional financing
- Office convenience from your home
- Who will oversee your treatment? The orthodontist or their assistants?
How to Live with Orthodontics
Different orthodontics can have some demands that can affect your life. However, it is necessary to maintain oral health no matter what it takes during the orthodontic treatment. This is to increase efficiency and prevent any further complications that can be a result of the appliances.
You can maintain good oral hygiene during your treatment through:
- Avoiding certain types of foods, depending on the type of treatment you are undergoing. In most cases, it is good to avoid decay-promoting foods.
- Improve your diet by taking a healthy diet that can promote your teeth and gum health
- Brush your teeth regularly, at least twice a day
- Floss every day
- Avoid certain types of toothpaste such as whitening toothpaste and use special toothpaste depending on your treatment
If you have a mispositioned jaw or teeth, the orthodontic specialists at Skyline Smiles can help you. Begin your smile restoration process by scheduling an appointment now.