I love that my family dentist is tech-savvy. It's so easy to book a dentist on his smartphone app if I have a tooth problem or if anyone in my family needs emergency problems (I can choose either my normal dentist or another dentist in his practise depending on availability). He also has some great cameras so that we can see exactly what is going on during treatment. I prefer not to see this, but my kids love to be able to see the dentist using his specialised tools to clean and repair their teeth. This blog has some tips on finding a tech-savvy dentist to help give your family the best possible dental care.
Teeth and jaws that are incorrectly positioned can lead to many mouth complications. Such teeth are more likely to suffer from tooth decay, stress on chewing muscles, headaches, and periodontal disease. Crooked teeth can also lead to complications such as neck and back pain as a result of the extra stress that is placed on the teeth.
An orthodontist is a type of dentist that corrects improperly positioned teeth and jaws. Orthodontic treatment can lead to a cleaner, healthier mouth, a better appearance of the teeth, and long lasting oral hygiene.
It is important to know when you may need orthodontic treatment so you can seek the services of an orthodontist in good time. Here are several signs that you can look out for to determine if an orthodontic appointment will be necessary for you.
Having overbite
An overbite refers to the condition where your upper front teeth lie too far forward from your lower teeth. This causes the front teeth to stick out and protrude from the jaw, leading to an appearance that is not visually appealing. Overbite can be caused by childhood behaviors such as sucking your thumb, or accidents that cause the top teeth to be propelled forward.
An orthodontist can address most cases of overbite. Braces can be used to reposition the front teeth, or aligners and jaw repositioning appliances can be put in the teeth to bring them back to their natural position.
Underbite
An underbite is basically the reverse of an overbite. It is when the bottom row teeth are too far forward, or the top teeth are to far behind. This gives a kind of "bulldog" appearance to the teeth. An orthodontist can reposition the lower/upper jaw to align them back to their natural position.
There are many different tools an orthodontist can use to reposition the jaw, such as retainers and palatal expanders.
Improper tooth spacing
Improper tooth spacing occurs when there are gaps between the teeth due to missing teeth or spaces in the mouth itself. Improper spacing often leads to trouble chewing food, and is a common cause for orthodontic treatment.
Openbite
Openbite refers to the condition where there is space between the front and the side teeth when you bite food and bring your teeth together. With openbite, it can be challenging to bite and chew various types of food. The spaces within the jaw can make food items penetrate and remain in the mouth as big chunks that are difficult to swallow.
An orthodontist can use jaw repositioning devices to make the teeth fit better while chewing.
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