What causes crooked teeth?
Just as we inherit eye color from our parents, mouth and jaw features are also inherited. Local factors such as finger sucking, high cavity rate, gum disease, trauma and premature loss of baby teeth can also contribute to a bad bite. One out of every five school age children have a severe bite problem so it is not surprising that you might need braces.
Why should I have my teeth straightened?
Poorly arranged teeth can break easily and can trap food particles that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Researchers at the Baylor College of Dentistry, found that malocclusions interfere with the chewing ability to break down foods which affects digestion and overall health. Finally, poorly arranged teeth detract from your smile which is one of the more important features of your face. You only have one chance to make that first impression!
How do braces straighten crooked teeth?
Braces use steady, gentle pressure over time to move teeth into their proper positions. They don't look like they're doing much just sitting there. but in fact, every moment or your orthodontic treatment, there's something happening in your mouth. Something good for you. The brackets we place on your teeth and the main arch wire that connects them, are the two main components.
The bracket is a piece of specially shaped metal or ceramic that we affix to each tooth. Then we bend the arch wire to reflect your 'ideal" bite-what we want you to look like after treatment. The wire threads through the brackets and, as the wire tries to return to its original shape, it applies pressure to actually move your teeth. Picture your tooth resting in your jaw bone.
With pressure on one side from the arch wire, the bone on the other side gives way. The tooth moves. New bone grows in behind. It may look like nothing is happening but we're making a new smile here. Thanks to new materials and procedures, all this happens much quicker than ever before. It's kind of an engineering feat. Will things sometimes look worse before they will look better during orthodontic treatment?
Yes, the teeth will move in different directions as the teeth are straightening out. You may see a space between your two front teeth that was never there before or teeth that seemed perfectly straight before the braces were placed may not seem as straight. Be patient and things will start to improve. That space will close and those teeth will line up as treatment continues.
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