Have you ever given any thought to what it actually means to have a “perfect” smile? Most people when asked this question will conjure up mental images of models and Hollywood actors with dazzling teeth. However, there is an actual medical definition of the way the teeth are meant to fit together. The word “occlusion” refers to the alignment of the teeth and the way the upper and lower teeth fit together (bite). Ideally, all upper teeth fit slightly over the lower teeth, just like the top of a house sits over a basement. All teeth are lined up straight and spaced evenly. The upper teeth keep the cheeks and lips from being bitten and the lower teeth protect the tongue. Not all people are so lucky as to have this medically “perfect bite.”
There are many problems that can lead to a malocclusion or “bad bite”. For example, crowding of teeth, too much space between teeth, extra or missing teeth, cross-bite, over-bite, and under-bite are all types of malocclusions. Also, various irregularities of the bone structure in the jaws and face can also lead to a malocclusion. Basically, a malocclusion is any misalignment of the teeth or incorrect relationship between the teeth of the two dental arches.
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Depending on what stage you are in of orthodontic treatment, smiling may be the last thing you want to do. Whether you’re just starting with braces or Invisalign or near the very end, your confidence may have taken a tumble. With a new year comes a new mindset and we’ve got 8 reasons to expose your beautiful smile to the world in 2018:
1. Smiles are contagious. Studies have shown that people have a difficult time frowning when someone else is smiling at them. In fact, they couldn’t help but smile themselves. Make a habit throughout the year to compliment the people you meet with a smile and watch them pay it forward.Read More
Happy Holidays to all from Orthodontist Dennis J. Flanagan DDS MS! This is the time of year where giving means more than receiving. To see the joy on a loved one’s face as they look in their stocking or open a present is truly what giving is about. The Team at the orthodontic office of Dr. Flanagan would like to share some stocking stuffer ideas for your consideration. All of these suggestions apply to patients of different ages whether or not they are wearing braces or Invisalign.
Why trust orthodontists…If you are having a problem with your bones or muscles you trust an orthopedist. For a skin, hair, or nail condition you trust a dermatologist. A cardiologist specializes in heart issues or you consult with a neurologist for frequent headaches or back issues related to the nervous system. When straightening teeth and correcting jaw problems, your smile is treated best in the hands of orthodontists. Orthodontists are also known as Orthodontic Specialists.
“Specialist” has a double meaning in the health profession. It refers to the individual practitioner’s education and verifies they have limited their practice to one specialty, unlike a general dentist or general physician which can treat all areas of dentistry or medicine. Read More
The short, easy answer is yes. Now I could stop here because I just gave the answer to the question, but the answer wouldn’t be complete without an explanation.
The bones in our body are not static and unchanging. Your bones are constantly remodeling and adapting. Bone does this in part due to forces that push and/or pull on them. If a person works out, lifts weight, etc., their bones will change in response to the increased stress put on them by the activity a person is performing. Generally, if a muscle becomes larger and stronger, so will the bone that it is attached to. You may have also heard of people who have one leg that is shorter than the other. Sometimes a person with this condition undergoes a procedure called osteogenic distraction, which is the technical medical term. Basically it is when a bone is sectioned into two pieces and a device is placed on either side of the cut that moves the two sides slowly apart. Just like when a bone is broken and it repairs itself, the lengthening device causes new bone to grow because of the moving apart of the two halves of the bone.
When a child sucks their thumb, the thumb and muscles of the face are pushing and pulling on the jaw bones. This pushing/pulling can usually be strong enough to alter the shape and growth of the jaw bones. A pacifier can also do the same thing. The cheek muscles push in on the jaws, mainly the upper jaw, restricting the growth of the upper jaw. This causes the upper jaw to be narrower than normal, and then it doesn’t fit the lower jaw. Along with pushing on the jaws, the muscles also push on the teeth, pushing them in.
The thumb is pushing and pulling on the teeth and the jaws. When the thumb is in the mouth, it is having these effects: pushing up on the roof of the mouth, causing the shape of the roof to change, making it high and narrow. This can also cause the child’s airway to become restricted and narrowed.; pulling the front teeth and front of the upper jaw forward, causing the front teeth to stick out; pushing the lower front teeth and front of the lower jaw back; causing the teeth to crowd.
In some cases of long term, very vigorous thumb-sucking, these bad effects can be very severe. This means that the child will have to undergo more extensive orthodontic treatment to correct the problems, and in some cases the problems may not be able to be fixed all of the way.
The best advice for thumb-sucking is to stop the habit as early as possible. The longer the habit persists, the more damage will be done.
You may have seen the term “self-ligating brackets” (SLB’s) during your online research about orthodontic treatment. What does that mean?
You may have seen it used along with a description of “Damon System” self-ligating brackets. Damon System brackets are just one type of self-ligating brackets. They are not better than most other SLB’s, they just have name brand recognition.
So what are SLB’s?
Traditionally, wires (which are what move your teeth) are held into the braces with small, colored ties that are like tiny rubber bands. The wire can also be held in place with small stainless steel wires in some situations. Self-ligating (tying) brackets do not need either of these to hold the wire in place.
Despite some claims, self-ligating brackets do not move teeth faster, no matter what brand they are. The real benefit of self-ligating brackets is that they are self-tightening. With the rubber band ties, patients need to come in about once every four weeks because those ties wear out. With SLB’s, there aren’t any ties to wear out, so patients have to come in much less often. In our office, some appointments can be stretched out to twelve weeks! That means fewer appointments overall throughout your treatment. We know how busy everyone’s schedules are, so not having to come in as often is a great benefit that we can provide for our patients and their families. And we can do this while providing the same excellent results as traditional braces.
What is the downside to SLB’s? You might think that these high tech braces would make treatment cost more. In our office, even though SLB’s cost us a lot more than regular braces, we don’t pass that expense to our patients. In our office we believe that you shouldn’t have to pay extra for efficiency or aesthetics. About the only downside is that we don’t use colors with them. And that is an acceptable trade-off when compared to the huge benefits of SLB’s for our patients and their families.
