Orthodontic problems, if not early addressed can pose a great danger to a person's oral health. It comes highly recommended that one does regular check-ups to determine whether there are any impending problems, especially in children. If through consultations with your doctor, you realize that you or your child are experiencing signs that braces are necessary, then it is time to pay a visit to your orthodontist for a solution.
How to know if braces are needed is something that has eluded many. Should you be wondering what the signs are, below are a few that will help you go and get your beautiful smile back.
When Are Braces Necessary?
1. Crowded Teeth
Crowding would be the first answer to the question why braces are be needed. Although it is popular with kids, crowding also occurs in adults. When it happens, there will be insufficient space in the mouth for all teeth to fit. Lack of adequate room for the teeth will lead to some being crooked thereby affecting your smile.
Over time, the problem gets worse. It will reach a point that certain simple tasks like flossing or brushing becomes complicated and will take lots of time and effort. Sometimes, it gets impossible to clean all teeth leading to accumulation of bacteria and germs that gradually decays your tooth. Bad odor, gingivitis, and bone loss around the teeth also abound.
Fixing this problem as early as possible goes a long way to improving your dental hygiene. It will also minimize risks of getting gum disease as well as getting rid of the bad odor. The orthodontist will also determine if removal of some teeth before applying the braces is necessary. This will further repair any damage that's been previously done and avoid future problems.
2. Teeth Overlap
When some people smile, you can't help but notice that their teeth have overlapped each other either horizontally or vertically. This is called overbite and it is one way to determine if braces are needed. If your front teeth are sticking out further than the alignment of the bottom teeth, you should visit your doctor.
Why are braces necessary for overlapping teeth?Exaggerated teeth overlap increases the chances of one's front teeth suffering from trauma. Nonetheless, it will be easy for teeth to fracture and cause you severe pain and harm. As if that is not enough, an overbite leads to complications and reduces the chances of successful dental restoration works like veneers, crowns, and cosmetic fillings. This is why you should visit an orthodontist as soon as possible.
3. Crossbite
Apart from the vertical and horizontal overlapping of teeth, people also experience what is called a crossbite. A crossbite is characterized by the opposing lower tooth being ahead of the upper tooth. This issue also requires a correction because when left untreated, certain problems like excessive wear or teeth fracture can occur. There will also be huge chances of the gum recession of the affected teeth.
Failure to correct this issue also leads to unsuccessful restoration of fractured or worn out teeth. Asymmetric jaw growth could also occur.
4. Underbite
The necessity of getting braces wards off problems associated with an underbite. A disproportionate jaw size is the primary cause of an underbite. This issue makes all the upper front teeth to be behind the lower front teeth. It might not sound like a big problem until you one day will realize that your facial appearance is imbalanced.
Another issue associated with an underbite is accelerated facial aging and difficulty in chewing or biting of food. No one wants that. As such, the need for braces is mandatory.
What Your Child Should Expect Before and After Braces - Beecroft Orthodontics
5. Front Teeth Not Touching
Another of the signs that you may need braces is when your front teeth do not touch, both the upper and the lower ones. This abnormal condition is referred to as an open bite. An open bite could lead difficulties when trying to bite and is also associated with speech problems like lisp.
These two issues alone are problems one wouldn't want to deal with. As a result, a visit to the orthodontist for an application of brackets to correct the issue is a recommendation.
6. Multiple Gaps
Some people have unnecessarily large multiple spaces between their teeth. These gaps are often brought about by crowding of other teeth or habits one has developed as a kid like sucking or chewing things improperly. As one of the signs that you may need braces, it's application will bring about the correct alignment of individual teeth and get rid of the spaces.
7. Difficulty Sleeping
People unknowingly wake up sometimes in the morning feeling fatigued, which also drives them to irresistibly fight the urge to sleep during the day. This is called sleep apnea and it is a problem associated with oral health. It affects people individually based on the presence of airway disorder.
This condition calls for the need of the application of brackets, which over time will reposition the jaws and provide a reliable solution to the airflow problem. The airway needs to widen to allow more air to flow. Braces offer the long-term solutions in such cases.
8. Recurrent Jaw Pain
The question why braces are needed is also best answered by frequent jaw pains. When you open or close your jaw and experience consistent and constant pain, a visit to the doctor for braces is imperative. This problem sometimes causes the jaw to extend only to a limited position as they tend to lock. An orthodontist will examine you and determine the cause of the problem. Often, the best course of action will be fixing the brackets to bring back your jaw to the normal working condition.
9. Teeth Unnecessarily Wear Off
Chemical substances, grinding, improper oral hygiene, among others are leading causes of teeth wearing out. If grinding is the reason of teeth misalignment, the corrective measure will be the use of braces. An orthodontist will examine you first and determine what the underlying cause is, before suggesting the use of braces.
Some things in life cannot be rectified, but your smile and facial appearance can be corrected. Why suffer because of teeth misalignment, or because of a simple problem that can be fixed with braces? If you are experiencing some or most of the above signs and did not know what your solution would be, the solution is now here for you. Visit our orthodontist or make an appointment and see your unsatisfactory smile transform into a beautiful and charming one.
BEECROFT ORTHODONTICS
11113 Leavells Rd. Fredericksburg, VA 22407
Phone: 540 898 2200
What Are the Signs that Braces May Be Needed?