No doubt, properly aligned teeth make for a picture-perfect smile. Besides enhancing your looks, they also boost your confidence. With that, they also make it easier for you to maintain your dental hygiene and keep various oral health issues at bay.
But not everyone is born with perfectly aligned teeth. That’s where the magic of orthodontics comes into the picture. In addition to helping people achieve a smile that perfectly complements their looks, it also improves their dental health. Going with the basic tips for healthy teeth can improve the quality a lot.
If this caught your attention, the following overview on orthodontics might just be what you need to get the smile you deserve.
What is Orthodontics?
First things first, here’s a quick explanation of orthodontics: It is a branch of dentistry that addresses misalignments of the teeth and jaw. This not only corrects the appearance of crooked and crowded teeth but also resolves the look of underbite and overbite.
Dentists who specialize in this branch can use a wide range of orthodontics techniques to help you achieve your ideal smile. Orthodontists treat these issues in children and adults alike.
Types of Orthodontics Treatments
Before getting into the tips for healthy teeth, let’s discuss a bit about the ones taking care of it when things go out of your hands. Orthodontics offers several treatments to fix dental issues. This includes the following approaches.
Metal Braces
This is one of the most popular types of treatments to fix misaligned teeth. After using an intraoral scanner to take 3D images of your dental structure, your orthodontist can fix braces onto your teeth.
From there, they use a combination of elastics and metal archwires to gradually but surely fix the position of your teeth. Typically, it may take 1-3 years for braces to deliver the beautiful smile that you deserve.
Ceramic Braces
While braces are often associated with metal fixtures on your teeth, ceramic braces make them look more inconspicuous. Instead of metal, these braces are made from polycrystalline alumina that visually blends in with the natural enamel of your teeth.
But before you dig into your savings account for ceramic braces, it’s important to learn that ceramic braces may not always be ideal for you. In some cases, you may need to get metal braces.
Clear Aligners
If your teeth or jaw misalignment issues are not so significant that they need braces, you may also benefit from wearing clear aligners. These removable aligners are custom-made from flexible plastic to fit your dental structure.
You need to typically wear them 20-22 hours a day to get the results that you want. But despite being one of the most popular modern dental procedures, clear aligners cannot fix the most serious alignment issues.
Retainers
Completing braces or clear aligner treatments gives you the results that you want for your smile. But you need to wear retainers every night afterward to maintain the new structure of your pearly whites.
This means that as you turn your white noise machine to get some sweet slumber, you may also have to wear your retainers before bedtime. The good part? You can get retainers in custom designs to have some fun with this necessary daily routine.
Palatal Expanders
In some cases, you may also wear mouth expanders or palatal expanders that help you broaden your jaw. While expanders are mostly reserved for children, some adults can also benefit from them.
You can also get them in removable or non-removable options, with the most suitable treatment being decided by your orthodontist. You can schedule a specialist consultation from an online dentist platform to determine if this treatment is right for you.
Surgical Orthodontics
If you have severe teeth or jaw misalignment issues, you might need to go through surgical orthodontics treatments. Similar to learning what a cosmetic dentist does to improve smiles, you can ask your orthodontist how they can address your concerns through surgery.
Typically, surgical orthodontics treatments require you to take a few weeks off of work to recover. But your dentist can give you more details on what type of surgery and aftercare practices are good for you.
Tips for healthy teeth
To have healthy teeth and gums, it is important to have a proper oral hygiene routine. Brushing the teeth twice or taking on other dental habits can help remove plaque to avoid gum disease and cavities. Here are some of the tips for healthy teeth mentioned.
Avoid Sugar
Do you have rough or fuzzy teeth? If you do, then you are leaving dental plaque on your teeth. Plaque feeds on sugar and uses it to make cavity-causing acids. You might be especially feeling this after eating sugary foods.
It is important that you check the labels of food that you think are healthy but actually not good for your teeth.
Brush Twice a Day
It is always recommended to brush your teeth twice with any fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is a mineral and is known for its oral health benefits. Various municipalities have fluoridated drinking water.
At least brush for two minutes to get your teeth clean. If you are brushing in a hurry, then it is likely that you are leaving behind plaque, and this will cause cavities later.
Floss You Teeth
Plaque hides where toothbrush bristles don’t reach. This is the main reason why you should floss at least once a day. It prevents cavities from growing in between the teeth, and you can also stay clear of any surprises that might come during your next oram examination.
Use Month Rinse
It is better if you use a fluoride mouth rinse to make the tooth enamel strong. This washes away any residual plaque if left, or food particles, which are still there after brushing and flossing. You can choose a brand or ask your dentist to recommend one.
Get Dental Sealants
Sealants are special coatings applied to the new molars in children. However, adults also get these. They fill the grooves and fissures, which prevents plaque from building up and forming cavities.
Avoid Alcohol, Chewing Tobacco, and Smoking
Smoking is one of the most harmful habits for your oral health. It causes discoloration, tartar or plaque build-up, gum disease, oral cancer, and tooth loss. The case is similar to alcohol. It dries the mouth and also reduces saliva production leading to tooth decay and tooth loss.
Check with a Dentist Every 6 Months
Tips for healthy teeth also include cleaning the teeth, oral examination, and maintaining good oral hygiene. For this, you have to visit the dentist every 6 months. The dentists would be able to gently scrape away the tartar and plaque.
Schedule Your Appointment Now
After learning more about orthodontics and what they can do for you, you can be more confident in benefiting from this popular branch of dentistry. This can ensure that you obtain the smile of your dreams while also improving your self-image.
Also, here are some of the tips for healthy teeth mentioned, which can help you take care of your oral hygiene and help prevent any disease that might turn into something big when left unattended.
Read More:
