Orthodontist Treatments Unwired

Last century, some people thought braces had magnetic properties. If someone approached you with a powerful magnet, you would automatically be pulled from your orbit and then mash-mouthed from slamming up against said magnet - granting an orthodontist (and others packing lodestone attraction) great powers over you. Those people were misinformed.

This century a new myth circulates, according to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO): People use dental braces to log onto the Internet and download music to their digital music players. What's the AAO's response? "This is not possible right now."

Which only leads some of us to hope music downloads will be possible in the future. Maybe once America's thoroughly wired for the Internet, we can all ask cosmetic orthodontists to brace us up for sound, if not sound dental health. But until that day, there are other reasons to seek orthodontic braces.

So if you can't download files, why ask your orthodontist if you need braces? If you have crooked teeth, you'll probably want a confidence boost. But another consideration? Dental health. Orthodontists wire their patients because plaque builds up in the places where your teeth mash together. Unreachable plaque forms tartar, calculus, gum disease and tooth decay.

There are other reasons to seek orthodontists:

Missing Teeth - If you lose one, you might lose others. Your teeth shift around to close space, creating bite problems, painful chewing and more. An orthodontist keeps everything positioned.

Extra Teeth - Some people need dental braces because of extra teeth. This causes overcrowding, turning, odontogenic cysts (cysts in the jaws during tooth formation), teeth impactions and more.

Underbites & Overbites - If your teeth don't meet properly when you close your mouth, you have a malocclusion, or bad bite, which causes chewing or swallowing problems and speech impediments.

Misaligned Jaws - Have jaws that jabber disjointedly from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ or TMD)? If you need oral surgery, you might also need to see an orthodontist before and after your TMJ treatment.

So let's say your jaws join perfectly, you speak, chew or swallow just fine and you manage to wrap floss around every tooth. Still, you feel your smile could improve. Maybe you had braces before but find a few teeth creeping back into old positions. Could be time to see your cosmetic orthodontist.

According to the Medical College of Georgia, adults make up 25 percent of an orthodontist's patients because our culture loves perfect, super-sized smiles as much as super-sized soft drinks. And so long as your gums and jaws remain healthy, your orthodontist nudges your adult teeth into proper placement fairly peacefully.

Today's orthodontists no longer wrap metal bands around your teeth. Today treatments come in multiple colors and composite materials. They attach to the fronts or backs of your dentition or slide over the tops. Your cosmetic orthodontist recommends best methods for your mouth and lifestyle.

Nearly Invisible Brackets - These brackets blend more with the natural color of your teeth. Rubber bands hold the arch wire onto the brackets. Ceramic brackets tend to stain if you drink a lot of caffeinated beverages, smoke or eat a lot of staining foods like curry.

Ask your orthodontist about monocrystalline sapphire braces. They're strong and stain-resistant. However, they look best on people with very white teeth. Your dentist might help with tooth whitening before your orthodontist treatment.

Polycrystalline brackets aren't yet available in America, but we'll probably see (or not see, since they're like glass) them soon. Your orthodontist can keep you updated.

Invisible Braces - Orthodontists may be able to fit you with invisible, graduated aligners such as Invisalign® or ClearCorrect^TM. This method works best for minor orthodontist treatments. If your teeth really need help, consider a bracket system instead. Orthodontists offer guidance.

Lingual Braces - Not all orthodontists treat your condition with braces fitted to the backs of your teeth; these require special dental training. But with lingual braces, most of it won't show when you smile.

Full, Metal Brackets - They're actually tiny, and come in silver or gold, as well as a variety of shapes. Want your friends to see stars when you smile? Footballs or flowers? Ask your orthodontist about ordering these.

Brackets Built for Speed - Fast or speed braces move tooth and crown together, unlike regular braces which move the crown first, root second. We know that sounds weird, but orthodontists can explain the difference.

Self-ligating brackets keep an arch wire in place without the o-shaped rubber bands. You'll have fewer adjustments and orthodontist appointments.

Color-coded Smiles - Braces no longer have to be tooth colored to hide, or gold or silver to flaunt. Add color with full, glow-in-the-dark brackets. Or represent sports team fanatic fandom with colored o-rings. Orthodontists are only too happy to accommodate your lifestyle.

Need to see an orthodontist for an underbite work-over? Want a cosmetic orthodontist to tweak your almost perfect tooth? Call us at 1-866-970-0441 and we'll brace you with a great orthodontist referral.