Thanks to advancing orthodontic technology, your Calgary orthodontist is now capable of performing a wide range of treatments that are designed to correct adult malocclusions, rather than to simply treat them. As a result, more and more adults are getting treated for orthodontic conditions that, a generation ago, people just had to live with. However, because the field of adult orthodontics is still new in a lot of respects, it’s common for people to have questions. Your dentist and your Calgary orthodontist are the best sources to answer these questions, but here’s some basic information to use as a starting point.
Why seek orthodontic treatment?
Of course, malocclusions aren’t categorically bad for one’s looks, but appearance is nevertheless the number one reason why adults choose orthodontic treatment. When an individual has crooked teeth, a misaligned bite, or an unusual facial structure, there’s a good chance that a Calgary orthodontist can do something to remedy the issue.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of health-related reasons for adults to seek orthodontic treatment. Having an aligned jaw makes chewing easier, which can be beneficial for digestion. Fixing orthodontic problems may also prevent tooth and gum disease, and it can treat or prevent jaw pain.
What are the main concerns with regard to adult orthodontic treatment?
There’s a reason why orthodontic treatments are most commonly performed on children. It’s because young people’s jaws are still growing and developing, and orthodontists can harness that natural force of growth to gently guide the patient’s jaw into a normal alignment. With adults, because our jaws have formed a permanent shape, adjustment must be made through brute force—albeit brute force that is applied over several months or years.
In rare cases, adult orthodontic treatment is just not possible. For example, when teeth have been worn down or broken, or when the jaw is set in a position due to issues relating to skull or upper spine structure, orthodontic treatment will inevitably fall short of the mark. And in other cases, patients may be eligible for care with a Calgary orthodontist, but only after receiving extensive treatment and repairs from a dentist.
What types of problems can be corrected?
Your Calgary orthodontist can use a mixture of treatment methods to correct malocclusions. The most common methods include braces, bridges, extractions, partial dentures, replacement crowns, retainers, tooth spacers, and jaw-spreading implements. For more severe cases, the orthodontist may have to collaborate with professionals from other subsections of dentistry, including periodontists and prosthodontists
There are many problems that orthodontists can correct in adults, including tooth crowding, spaces between teeth, overbite, underbite, jaw protrusion, and ordinary misalignment.
Can orthodontists fix painful jaws?
When people don’t get proper orthodontic treatment as children, this commonly leads to painful jaws in adulthood. If you have this problem, your Calgary orthodontist will be your go-to person for all the fixes you need. And there are many options. For example, some jaw pain is simply the result of grinding and clenching during sleep, for which your Calgary orthodontist will be able to fashion a nightguard. For more serious jaw pain, surgery may be required.
