Key Points to Know Before Starting Orthodontic Treatment

Key Points to Know Before Starting Orthodontic Treatment

What is the biggest reason people choose orthodontic treatment? Many people start it to straighten irregular or protruding teeth and become more attractive and confident. Of course, orthodontic treatment can provide these aesthetic benefits. However, because orthodontic treatment is not an easy procedure that moves misaligned teeth and normalizes the bite, it is better to begin only after learning accurate information beforehand.

What should you check first before starting orthodontic treatment? It is your own dental condition. You need to know exactly what problems your teeth have in order to receive the right treatment. In fact, many people postpone orthodontic treatment even when they need it because they do not feel much discomfort or think they can do it later. In such cases, there may seem to be no problem right now, but as time passes, it can adversely affect the teeth and the problem can become worse, so caution is needed.

Many people considering orthodontic treatment are experiencing discomfort due to protruding mouth, underbite, receding chin, gaps between teeth, crooked teeth, deep bite, open bite, and similar issues shown in the image above. Orthodontic treatment helps align these teeth properly.

So why should orthodontic treatment be done? Is it simply to make a problematic bite look even and attractive? Not exactly. First, let’s take crooked teeth as an example.

Crooked teeth, if left untreated, can cause cavities and periodontal disease.

Crooked teeth occur when there is not enough space in the jawbone for the teeth to align evenly, that is, when the jaw is too narrow and the teeth cannot erupt properly. In many cases, there is not enough space especially for the canine teeth. This is because canines erupt later than other teeth. In the end, lacking room to come in, they erupt above the gumline and become crooked teeth.

Now, why should crooked teeth be corrected? If left untreated, it becomes difficult to brush properly between the crooked tooth and the tooth it covers, creating an environment where cavities can easily develop. Food debris trapped between them is not cleaned away in time, making tartar more likely to form and creating conditions where gum disease can also develop. In the end, problems gradually worsen as tartar causes the gums to recede repeatedly.

That is why orthodontic treatment is needed to move them into the correct position.

Deep bite, a cause of temporomandibular joint damage and tooth wear.

Next, let’s learn more about deep bite. Simply put, deep bite refers to a condition in which the upper teeth cover the lower teeth by more than 2–3 mm. In other words, the upper teeth excessively cover the lower teeth. In such a case, the bite will naturally not be aligned properly, and chewing, which is the main function of teeth, becomes difficult and places strain on the temporomandibular joint. In addition, the mouth may appear protruded.

This is not all. The face may look shorter, giving the appearance of a square jaw, and the lower front teeth may repeatedly touch the gums of the upper front teeth, which can lead to gum disease. In addition, the inner surface of the upper front teeth may collide with the lower front teeth, causing the teeth to loosen and become protruding or creating gaps between the teeth, and during this process, the inner part of the upper front teeth may also wear down.

As such, deep bite is not merely an aesthetic issue; because it can affect the bite, chewing, and even cause tooth wear, orthodontic treatment is essential.

If you have decided on orthodontic treatment, the first thing to do is choose where to begin, right? Because orthodontic treatment involves moving teeth, unlike general dental treatment that ends after one or two visits, it takes a considerable amount of time. Since the treatment period is not short, it is important to detect and resolve any problems that may arise during treatment as early as possible. In addition, even after treatment is finished, continuous follow-up care is necessary in order to maintain straight teeth for a long time.

For satisfactory orthodontic treatment, it is important to carefully check whether the clinic can handle these various variables and whether it can properly provide care from the start of treatment through follow-up after treatment ends.

There are quite a few types of orthodontic appliances. When selecting an appliance, the patient’s condition and needs are considered together to begin with the most suitable one. If we were to choose the most commonly used appliances, ceramic brackets and Clippy-C brackets would be among them.

Ceramic brackets and Clippy-C brackets share similar advantages in that they use the same ceramic material and offer excellent aesthetics. However, they differ in the way they connect the teeth and the appliance. Ceramic brackets use elastic bands or thin wires to connect the bracket and the wire, whereas Clippy-C brackets use a self-ligating, snap-on type mechanism.

With this method, friction between the teeth and the appliance is reduced, allowing orthodontic force to be delivered more directly to the teeth, which can shorten the treatment period. It also has the advantage of causing less pain than conventional orthodontic treatment.

Lime Tree Dental Hospital is a member hospital of the Korean Association of Orthodontists, and orthodontic treatment is performed directly by medical staff who are regular members of the association. With the experience and know-how gained from treating many patients over 21 years, we strive to achieve better results. In addition, throughout the long treatment period, the same medical team takes responsibility for the patient from diagnosis to follow-up care without any change in the treating staff.