There are many reasons why one would new braces and the reasons vary from one patient to the next. Recent estimates put the number of American teens that wear braces at about 3 million at any given time; and it is not only teens; adults are having braces fitted as well. Although it may be your family dentist who first recognizes that braces are needed it will not normally be him or her that fits them, your family dentist will refer you to a Lincoln Square orthodontist.
Many dentists that specialize in pediatric dental care will suggest to the parents of the youngster that they visit an orthodontist at about seven years of age. This may seem to be quite young to be even thinking about braces but at this age braces are not necessarily the issue. A simple first screening of the young patients developing teeth and jaw may lead to early intervention which might even avoid the need for braces in the future.
Regardless of the age of the patient the initial visit to a Lincoln Square orthodontist is really quite simple; usually the orthodontist will do little more than a visual examination of the teeth, jaw and facial structure and discuss the findings; if the conclusion is that the patient can benefit from orthodontic care further appointments will be set. Subsequent appointments will consist of full X-Rays, the preparation of dental molds of both the upper and lower dental arch as well as photographs which will be taken from several different angles. With all this information the orthodontist can develop a plan to correct the patient’s problem.
Braces move the position of the teeth, gently pulling and pushing them into the ideal position. The orthodontist looks at three things when he or she is studying the patient, all three things take into account the relative relationship of the top and bottom teeth. The noted misalignment can be an overbite or an under bite; an overbite occurs when the top teeth protrude forward, an under bite is just the opposite, when the lower teeth protrude.
Many patients who go to a Lincoln Square orthodontist actually have a good bite pattern; this does not mean they do not need orthodontic care. In many cases teeth are overcrowded, this can result in teeth that are twisted out of position or even overlap. It may be necessary to extract one or more teeth before braces are installed.
If your teeth are misaligned or you suffer from an over or under bite then you will need to visit a Lincoln Square orthodontist. Click here for more information.
