While teeth are at risk for premature fall due to dental caries and periodontal disease, they can put extra strain on the chewing muscles, which can lead to headaches or TMJ syndrome (painful temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome).
Following the orthodontic treatment, which involves wearing dental braces for a period of time, the aim is both to straighten the teeth and to regulate the occlusion (the bite).
Stages of the orthodontic treatment
Broadly speaking, the orthodontic treatment begins with a specialist consultation, in which the patient is advised in order to establish a treatment plan.
Orthodontic consultation steps:
- elimination of all causes that can impair the efficiency of the dental braces (caries, extractions, fillings, etc.);
- obtention of the dental impression (mould);
- finally, the application of the dental braces, which can be fixed or mobile, visible or invisible.
During the orthodontic treatment, the patient will present for a monthly check-up, in order to adjust the dental brace, by frequently tightening the wires and mounting the springs.
The physical and aesthetic benefits of the orthodontic treatment:
The orthodontic treatment can help straighten the patient’s teeth and position them correctly from a bite perspective. In the first instance, the orthodontic treatment aims to straighten the patient’s teeth by exerting moderate pressure on the teeth, but an important second goal is to adjust the bite.
It is a repositioning of the teeth, in order to optimize the mastication process without additional effort on the teeth. In most cases, patients discover a combination of these two benefits of the orthodontic treatment.