The teeth look great when they are straight and perfectly aligned. Did you know that badly positioned teeth can affect your oral health? Yes, if your teeth are misaligned chewing efficiency may reduce, the risk of infection can increase and the condition may lead to many other problems. Your smile may look less attractive when the teeth are misaligned.

An orthodontic treatment may be necessary to move the teeth and improve the bite. Among the many types of orthodontic appliances used in dental medicine, dental braces have been high in the success rate of achieving bite improvement. Dr. Lee works with patients to understand their needs and recommends a treatment which is suitable for them.

Our dental braces have been successful in creating healthy smiles for many patients from Colton, California and the surrounding communities. If you have a query regarding bad bite, come to speak to our dentist. We can bring about a positive change in your oral health.

What causes teeth misalignment?

Our supporting jawbone is designed to hold 16 teeth. Wisdom teeth do not erupt properly in most of us because of insufficient space in the supporting bone. However, when it comes to teeth misalignment, the reasons may be different.

Following are some of the common causes of a bad bite.

  • Insufficient space in jawbone or overgrowth of teeth may lead to crowding Disproportionate growth of jawbone and small teeth can cause spacing
  • Improper position of lower jawbone with respect to upper jawbone may also lead to bad bite
  • Tooth loss in early childhood can lead to an improper position of adult teeth
  • Habits like thumb sucking and tongue thrust can cause protrusion of teeth

What happens when the teeth are misaligned?

Our oral cavity functions better when the teeth are in correct positions. When there is misalignment the chewing, speech and the smile can get affected.

  • Increased risk of tooth decay because it may be difficult to clean all surfaces of teeth when they are misaligned
  • Tooth wear
  • Speech problems
  • Esthetic problems

Dental braces and orthodontic treatment

An orthodontic treatment involves three phases. The first phase is where we examine the teeth and oral cavity. Our dentist takes impressions and X-rays of teeth to understand the position of teeth and the status of supporting bone. A treatment plan is set based on the learning from examination.

Dental braces have brackets and wires. The wires are fixed in the brackets in tension mode. They exert pressure on teeth and move them in a predetermined direction. The treatment may take more than a year. Patients are required to visit our dental office periodically to get the wires tightened.

The first step in the application of dental brace is to clean the teeth and dry them completely. Suitable conditioners are applied over teeth to improve bonding with brackets. Our dentist marks the position of brackets over teeth. Dental cement is applied on the back of brackets and they are fixed over teeth. The wires are then fit inside the brackets. After the completion of orthodontic treatment, our dentist may provide retainers for use. This ensures that the teeth do not get back to previous positions.