What do you need to know before wearing braces?
Fixed orthodontic appliances are used in orthodontics for the purpose of correcting the teeth and their placement in the correct position, which is essential for good oral hygiene and general health of the teeth, gums and jaw.
The goal of the orthodontic therapy, in addition to the aesthetics, is to place the crooked teeth in the correct position in relation to the individual face physiognomy, which is important for the health of the jaw joint, muscles and surrounding dental tissue, but also for the health of the whole organism.
Fixed appliance before
Properly positioned teeth in the jaw and their interrelationship allows steady transfer of the chewing force. In this way, the supporting tissues of the teeth are preserved and the teeth themselves are protected from overloading, excessive wearing and deterioration. All this has the effect of reducing and eliminating problems in the jaw joint.
In what cases should the fixed appliance be set up?
Application of the fixed appliance is ideal in cases where it is necessary to put all the teeth as accurately and harmoniously as possible, in a perfect array, along with the establishing of the proper relationship of the upper and lower jaw. They are especially suitable in cases involving the extraction of teeth, the closure of the resulting spaces, as well as in the combination with some additional orthodontic appliances.
The rule is to visit the orthodontist as soon as the problem is noticed. With children, it is best to visit the orthodontist for the first time around the age of 7, when the first permanent molars appear and the tooth replacement begins. It is a very convenient time for the preventative patient monitoring programme and a proper assessment of the moment for the beginning of the orthodontic therapy. The right time to start wearing a fixed appliance with children is the period after the emergence of the second molars (around the age of 13).
There is also a possibility of wearing a fixed appliance later in life, under certain circumstances:
- healthy teeth,
- preserved tooth support apparatus and
- oral hygiene at a satisfactory level.
Orthodontic treatment of adult patients is often more complex because, in addition to the aesthetic moment, it requires a multidisciplinary approach to solving functional problems such as:
– preparation for complete prosthetic rehabilitation of the patient, where placing the remaining teeth by using fixed appliances in an ideal position is achieved maximum stability in the function and the ultimate aesthetics of the prosthetic care
– patients with periodontal problems (problems of gum disease and supportive tooth apparatus), where treatment with the fixed appliances achieves the stabilization of the migrated teeth and their restoration to the correct position, thus maintaining a balanced ratio of the teeth of the upper and lower jaws and periodontal disease is kept under long-term control.
When should the first examination be performed?
The first examination is the moment of recognizing the patient's orthodontic problem. For more detailed information it is necessary to carry out certain analyzes. If it is necessary to carry out the treatment, the instructions are given for the diagnostic X-rays and a short questionnaire is to be filled out that helps us to be informed about the patient's condition and possible causes of the problem.
Then the impressions for the study models are taken and, together with the X-rays, analyses are made to set the diagnosis and make the plan of therapy. After considering all aspects of treatment, the patient is being informed of the details of the orthodontic analysis and the proposed therapy. For those patients interested in therapy the appointment is made for the appliance to be set up.
Before setting up a fixed appliance, both children and adults must be fully prepared, which means complete restoration of all teeth. Also, patients must have the health habit of the best possible and sustainable oral hygiene.
What after removing braces?
After wearing fixed appliance, the patient receives retention appliances, either fixed or mobile, and most often these are transparent foils - retainers which keep the teeth and the jaw in a new, corrected position. This is a type of prolonged, passive orthodontic therapy, equally important to achieve permanent stability of the results.
Although it often seems to patients that the orthodontic therapy is "slow", what you need to keep in mind is that this is how you set your natural teeth in perfect order.
The length of wearing of the retention appliances is individual and it is always recommended by your orthodontist. This part of the therapy is important to prevent the recurrence, i.e. the unwanted movement of the teeth from the ideal position, and to keep the treatment results permanently.
Regular dental checks during the orthodontic therapy are necessary, even after removal of the fixed appliamce as well as during the wearing of retentive appliances, regular dental checks are compulsory. The frequency of these check ups depends on the individual case and is determined by your orthodontist.
