Dental Orthodontics

Dental orthodontics can focus on teeth displacement or controlling and modifying facial growth (better defined as "dentofacial orthopedics"). Orthodontic treatment can be administered for purely aesthetic reasons (improving the general appearance of the teeth and face for cosmetic reasons), but most often, treatment is prescribed for practical reasons, which is to provide the patient with a functionally improved bite or occlusion.

If the main goal of the treatment is fixing the displacement of teeth, then a fixed multibracket therapy is often used. Fixed multibracket therapy involves the insertion of orthodontic wires into dental braces, which can be made from stainless steel or a ceramic material for better appearance. In addition, removable appliances, or "plates", headgear, expansion appliances, and many other devices can also be used to move teeth. Functional and orthopaedics appliances are used in patients age 5 to 13, to modify the jaw if it is altered. This type of therapy is frequently followed by a fixed multibracket therapy to align the teeth and refine the occlusion.

Following dental orthodontic treatment, patients will often wear retainers to maintain the newly position teeth while the surrounding bone reforms around them. Retainers are generally worn full-time for a short period (6 months to a year), and then worn periodically (typically nightly during sleep), for as long as the orthodontist recommends. While it is possible for the teeth to stay aligned without regular retainer wearing, because there are many reasons teeth will crowd with time, there is no guarantee that orthodontically treated teeth will remain aligned without the use of retention. For this reason, many orthodontists recommend periodic retainer wear for many years (or indefinitely) after dental orthodontic treatment.

Read more about Orthodontic Braces and the Process. Also learn about:

• Post-Treatment Care


• Pre-Finishers (Retainers)


• Complications and Risks of Orthodontic Braces


• Treatment Time and Cost


• Types of Braces


• Invisalign - the Alternative to Traditional Braces

Learn how to maintain good Oral Hygiene for Orthodontic Braces, as well as handle any dental emergencies pertaining to the use of orthodontic braces.

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