May 15 is the eighth World Orthodontic Health Day, and this year's theme is "Smile and Rejuvenation". With the increasing popularity of orthodontic treatment, more and more young people have joined the ranks of "braces". So, is there an age limit for orthodontic teeth? Does orthodontics cause loosening of teeth? Does orthodontic tooth extraction affect health? Is the orthodontic treatment over when the braces are removed? In response to these problems, we hereby interviewed Professor Jin Fang, vice chairman of the Orthodontic Professional Committee of the Chinese Stomatological Association and director of the Orthodontic Department of the Stomatology Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University.
At what age do you start orthodontic treatment?
Is there an age limit for correction?
The best time to start straightening your teeth is in the early stages of your permanent teeth (around 12 years of age). However, if there are problems with jaw development before the permanent tooth stage, or if there are problems that may affect the normal development of the craniomaxillofacial area, early prevention or blockade correction is required. For example, the best time for treatment is 3.5-5 years old, and early intervention can promote the normal development of the maxilla and inhibit the excessive development of the mandible, so as to avoid the occurrence of more serious bony malformations. In addition, abnormal replacement of baby teeth and permanent teeth, bad oral habits, etc., also need to be corrected as soon as possible to create good conditions for the growth and development of the jaw. Therefore, it is recommended that children have regular oral health and orthodontic examinations from the age of 2 and a half, and timely early intervention can reduce the occurrence and severity of malformations.
Theoretically, there is no age limit for orthodontics, i.e. orthodontics can be done at any age. The jaw bone has stopped developing in adults, and the difficulty, risk, and time of orthodontic treatment are higher than those of children, but orthodontic treatment can still be carried out as long as basic conditions such as periodontal and temporomandibular joints permit.
Orthodontic teeth can be triggered
Do you have a toothache or loose teeth?
Patients often wonder if my teeth will loosen when I get older. There is no need to worry about that. Normal orthodontic afterburner does not cause loosening of the teeth, and although there is a slight pain, it is only temporary.
During orthodontic treatment, the orthodontic force of braces causes hard tissues such as alveolar bone and soft tissues such as periodontal ligament and gums to remodel, allowing the teeth to move to a new position. It is normal for the teeth to feel mild pain after the first wear and after each follow-up visit, and it usually resolves on its own within a week. In addition, there will be a short, slight loosening of the tooth during the movement, and it will be firmly in the new position after the orthodontic treatment. Applying scientific and appropriate force to the teeth during the orthodontic process is key, and the orthodontist will continue to pay attention to the teeth and periodontal health during the orthodontic process. Therefore, orthodontists must perform orthodontists.
Why do you need to have teeth extracted for orthodontic treatment?
Does tooth extraction affect health?
Many people talk about "tooth extraction" discoloration, so if you don't want to extract teeth, can you solve the orthodontic problem? First of all, it should be clear that every orthodontist is very cautious about tooth extraction when designing a plan, and only the treatment plan for tooth extraction will be considered. So, what are the conditions that need to be corrected by tooth extraction? The teeth are surrounded by alveolar bone, commonly known as gums, and teeth need to stand neatly in the gums in order to function efficiently. When the gums are too small to accommodate all the teeth, the teeth can only be squeezed out of alignment and at an angle, and the teeth need to be extracted to make room for all the teeth. In the second case, although the teeth are straight, the teeth and mouth are protruding, and in order to improve the lateral appearance, it is necessary to obtain space through tooth extraction to move the protruding teeth back and establish a harmonious side profile. How many teeth to extract and which teeth to extract are the conclusions reached by the doctor after a comprehensive and comprehensive analysis of the individual situation. In general, it is prudent to extract a single tooth for orthodontic treatment, as it can easily cause asymmetry of the dental arch and to take into account the matching relationship between the upper and lower dentition.
Does tooth extraction affect health? Each tooth exists independently in its own socket and does not affect each other, and tooth extraction does not harm adjacent teeth, does not affect chewing function and physical health. The doctor will use the gap between the extractions to move, align the other teeth, and slowly close the extraction space, eventually closing the extraction space.
After the braces are removed
Is the end of orthodontic treatment?
"I've been wearing braces for two and a half years, and I'm finally going to remove them!" Is it possible to take off the braces once and for all? No! Removal of braces is only the beginning of the maintenance phase, and the results of orthodontic treatment are maintained by wearing retainers. So why wear a retainer? Orthodontics is the process of applying appropriate external force to the teeth, aligning the teeth, correcting the occlusal relationship, and improving the deformity. First of all, there is a tendency to revert to the original position after orthodontic treatment; Secondly, after the tooth is moved to a new position, the hard and soft tissues around the tooth need time to be rebuilt to adapt to the new position of the tooth. Third, the balance of the occlusal has not yet been established; And the retainer is a powerful weapon to prevent the recurrence of rebound.
So, how long do you need to wear a retainer? The general recommendation is to keep it for two years, the first year to wear it all day, and the second year to wear it in the evening. Some adult patients with particularly severe malformations or even jaw deformities after orthognathic surgery are also recommended to wear retainers at night for life. Common retainers include transparent laminated film retainers, Harley retainers, lingual retainers, etc., and follow the advice of orthodontists according to individual conditions. If the retainer is lost or broken, be sure to contact the doctor in time to make a new retainer and don't let the correction effect of several years go to waste.
Source: Stomatological Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University
Correspondent: Liang Xia
Editor: Liu Zhenghui Huang Menglin
Reviewer: Chen Shirui
Issued: Daley Red
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