Benefits of straight teeth.

Have you ever noticed that one crooked tooth in your mouth keeps trapping food time and time again? This often happens if you have teeth that overlap and bits of food find their way through the tiny spaces between your teeth.

Misaligned teeth can often be a challenge for patients to maintain good oral hygiene. These areas can be hard to reach with your toothbrush and much more difficult to pass dental floss or an interdental brush through to clean effectively. Over time, it serves as a plaque trap and can lead to dental caries if not maintained properly.

Your dentist will aim to point these teeth out to you as early as possible to prevent the prognosis of the crooked teeth from becoming worse as the years go by. They will offer a variety of different solutions to get these teeth into alignment so that you can look after them without having to worry about food traps and the risk of dental decay in the long run.

As mentioned briefly in the previous paragraphs, crooked teeth act as a plaque trap and can be a challenge for patients to keep clean. As time progresses, plaque mixes with the calcium and phosphate ions in our saliva, mineralizes and hardens to form a solid mass of bacteria called calculus [6].

Bacteria thrive in both plaque and calculus deposits, secreting acids that cause tooth decay and gum irritation [6]. This irritation leads to an inflammatory reaction within our body causing gingivitis. Gingivitis is a mild version of gum disease characterized by tender, red and inflamed gums that bleed when probed with dental instruments.

If not detected and treated effectively, gingivitis can progress into periodontal disease or periodontitis. This condition causes the gums to shrink and the jawbone to recede. A destroyed jawbone compromises tooth anchorage in its socket, and in extreme cases can lead to tooth loss.

Additionally, tilted teeth are often poorly supported as they have thin bone and gums, making them more prone to gingival recession. There is currently no treatment for gum recession, but good oral hygiene can prevent it from getting worse.

Identifying potential problems and reinforcing the importance of straightening your teeth early is key to preventing detrimental issues to your gums in the long run.

Severe tooth misalignments can cause problems when you chew and speak. One of the main negative consequences of malocclusion is the unequal distribution of load on teeth. There may be certain teeth that take on more biting and chewing forces than others causing premature tooth wear and soreness in the jaw muscles. The long-term consequences of not fixing an incorrect bite and tilted teeth are cracked tooth syndrome, severe jaw strain and orofacial pain.

Orthodontic treatment is strongly indicated in these cases to redistribute the biting forces amongst every tooth for an even occlusion.

Your teeth, lips, and tongue play a mammoth role in articulating words by modifying and obstructing the flow of air into and out of our mouths. Dentists from the University of Bristol carried out a study examining the relationship between tooth position and speech [7].

They found out that the participants with a malocclusion had more difficulties with dental sounds than those with a normal bite [7]. Those with an overjet (Class II division I malocclusion) had mild distortions with the production of “s” sounds and participants with a Class III malocclusion were unable to produce sibilant sounds (words like zip, sip, ship etc) effectively as their tongue posture typically hangs low and loose in the mouth [7].

Missing, crooked and gapped teeth change the placement of your tongue relative to your lips and teeth during the production of sound. This causes excess air to pass through your teeth creating a slight whistle every time you speak [8].

Dental trauma mostly affects your upper front teeth, causing damage to your smile, confidence, and the ability to speak and chew your food. Studies show that overjet (Class II Division I malocclusion) is the most significant risk factor for traumatic dental injuries as there is no adequate lip coverage to protect the protruded front teeth [9].

Children with an increased overjet of 6mm are at a higher risk of suffering from tooth trauma following a traumatic injury, and thus will require early orthodontic correction to reduce this overjet.

Ceramic braces are fixed brace appliances made of tooth coloured ceramic, sapphire, and composite resin material. Ceramic braces are a more aesthetic alternative and are as effective in performing three-dimensional tooth movements as conventional metal braces. Functionally, metal braces and ceramic braces are very similar with the main difference being the materials used.

Self-ligating braces have their own integrated self-locking system which eliminates the need of having rubber elastic nodules on each individual bracket. These braces are considered advantageous over the conventional metal ones as it reduces appliance discolouration as elastic nodules are not used to hold the brackets and archwire together.

Invisalign is an orthodontic system designed by Align Technology. They are custom made; clear plastic aligners are used to move your teeth into the desired position. Invisalign aligners are favoured by many patients because of its invisibility and removability.

To compare Invisalign and conventional metal braces, click here

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends all children of the ages of 7-8 to visit an orthodontist for an orthodontic evaluation [11]. During this appointment, the orthodontist can pick up any problems with their jaw growth as well as identify any teeth that are missing, misaligned and require correction. The purpose of this appointment is so that potential problems can be picked up early and for parents to be well informed of the orthodontic treatment that their child requires.

Most orthodontic treatment will not start till all your child loses his primary teeth (approximately 12-13 years old). If you are an adult and missed out on orthodontic treatment as a child, don’t worry! There are many patients that have braces or Invisalign as adults and have achieved their ideal smiles over the course of a couple of years. There is no ‘right’ age as orthodontic treatment can take place at any stage of life, however, many dentists recommend getting it done as a teen to avoid functional complications in the long run.

If you want to find out about Invisalign for Teens, read here!

Before committing to treatment, your dentist will be able to give you a ballpark figure of how long it will take. Invisalign treatment takes 12-18 months for simple, non-complex cases [12]. The average orthodontic treatment for traditional braces falls between 16-18 months and can take as long as 24 months for severe malocclusions.

The duration for orthodontic treatment depends on the following factors:

• The condition of your current teeth and bite

Teeth or bites that are severely misaligned will take longer than say, correcting one crooked tooth. In addition, the distance your teeth need to shift and the amount of existing space in your mouth also plays a role in determining treatment times.

• Oral hygiene

You will be expected to take charge of your own oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment. Dental decay, plaque traps and gum inflammation because of poor oral hygiene will only prolong treatment as these problems will need to be addressed first.

• The type of braces you choose

Fixed appliances (metal braces) can generally move teeth faster than removable aligners (Invisalign).

To read more about Invisalign vs Braces, click here!

Your dentist will be the best person to advise you on the right system to get your dream smile, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done. Every patient is different – there is not one ‘gold standard’ system that works better than another. Speak to your dentist about your concerns, and what you want to achieve by the end of this. They will create a personalized treatment plan suited to your needs and the work that is required.