Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry where the alignment of your teeth and jaws are corrected. Improperly positioned teeth or jaws can lead to many health risks especially when prolonged. Early tooth decay, headaches, and even pain that extends to the spine can be directly related to crooked teeth or misaligned jaws.

This is why it’s important to seek an orthodontist in Raleigh to provide you with orthodontic treatment. Diagnosis is the first step that you have to take to find out whether you are a good candidate for treatment. Below is a good resource that can help you understand orthodontic treatment.

Knowing whether you need orthodontics

If you have not yet consulted a dentist, you should go ahead and get your teeth checked. A full medical and dental health history will be reviewed by your dentist. If your dentist is not an orthodontist, you may be referred to one if you are a possible candidate for orthodontic treatment.

X-rays, photographs, and plaster models of your teeth will then be examined by an orthodontist with their diagnostic tools. These can all help with the evaluation of whether you need to undergo treatment. There are fortunate times when it’s not necessary to undergo a more complicated treatment.

Minor complaints regarding your teeth and jaws can be addressed by your dentist. However, below are some indicators that you may be a candidate for treatment by your orthodontist:

– Overbite is the condition where your upper teeth stick out farther than your lower teeth

– Underbite is the complete opposite of overbite because the lower teeth are too far forward in comparison to the upper teeth

– Open bite is a condition where you have space between the biting areas of your front and side teeth when you bite with your back teeth

– Misplaced midline is a condition where the center of your upper and lower front teeth do not match up

– Crossbite is a condition of the upper teeth not coming down when you bite together

– Crowding is a condition when you have too many teeth in any particular area of your mouth

– Spacing is a condition where there are gaps in between teeth where a tooth should be

Common symptoms associated with the need for orthodontics

Although having the structure of your jaws and teeth be reviewed is already sufficient in identifying whether you need orthodontic treatment, there may be times that a procedure is not absolutely necessary. Age or injury may play a factor in this decision. If you experience symptoms, however, it will lead to a stronger argument in getting orthodontic treatment. Symptoms include:

Headaches

Teeth grinding

Jaw or TMJ pain

Speech impediment

Tooth decay

Gum disease

Sleep apnea

Common orthodontic treatments that orthodontists recommend

Your orthodontist in Raleigh may recommend any of the treatments below upon identifying the condition that you have:

Braces

Aligners

Space maintainers

Fixed appliances

Jaw repositioning appliances

Lip and cheek bumpers

Retainers

Palatal expander

Wired headgear

Surgery

An orthodontist in Raleigh can help you with tooth and jaw alignment issues through special treatments they have trained years to master. Bring your perfect smile back, contact your orthodontist today.