Depending on the severity of the male occlusion, bad bite or irregularity orthodontic treatments may occur in either two or three distinct phases. The benefits of correcting misaligned teeth are many. Straight teeth are pleasing to look at and greatly boost confidence and self-esteem. More importantly, properly aligned teeth enhance the biting, chewing, and speaking functions of the jaw.
There are several types of irregularities:
Overbite: the upper teeth protrude further than or completely cover the lower teeth.
Underbite: the lower teeth protrude further than the upper teeth causing the chin to look prominent.
Crossbite: some of the upper teeth may close inside the lower teeth rather than on the outside.
Overcrowding: insufficient room on the arch causes some adult teeth to erupt incorrectly and become rotated.
Generally, orthodontic treatment takes between 6 to 30 months to complete. The treatment time will largely depend on the classification of the male occlusion, the type of dental devices used to correct it, and the perseverance of the patient.
Treatment entails three stages: the planning stage, active stage, and retention stage.
- Planning stage
The orthodontist makes an exact diagnosis in order to realign the teeth in the most effective and desirable way. His assessment comprises the following evaluations: medical and dental evaluations, dental and physical problems tend to go hand in hand. Problems in the oral cavity can lead to or be caused by medical problems. The goal of this evaluation is to ensure that prior medical and dental issues are completely under control before treatment begins.
Most orthodontists don’t take old fashion impressions for study models anymore. The patients’ teeth are scanned with a digital scanner. Digital study models enable the orthodontist to scrutinize the position of each tooth and how it relates to the other teeth.
X-rays are fantastic tools for viewing potential complications. X-rays also allow the orthodontist to see the exact position of each tooth and its corresponding root.
2. Active stage
During this stage, the orthodontist will recommend a custom orthodontic device to gently move the teeth into proper alignment. This orthodontic appliance may be fixed or removable. Most commonly traditional fixed braces are affixed, which utilizes individual dental brackets connected by an archwire. Lingual braces are also fixed but fit on the inside or tongue side of the teeth to make them less visible. Whatever the orthodontic device, the orthodontist will regularly adjust it to ensure adequate and continual pressure is being applied to the teeth.
3. Retention stage
When the teeth have been correctly aligned, fixed braces and appliances will be removed. The most cumbersome part of the orthodontic treatment is now over. Next, the orthodontist creates a custom retainer. The goal of the retainer is to ensure that the teeth do not begin to shift back to their original positions. Retainers need to be worn for a specified amount of time per day for a specified time period.
During the retention phase, the jawbone will reform around the realigned teeth to help towards stabilizing them in the correct alignment. You will want to continue to wear the retainer as long as you want straight teeth.