Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that diagnoses and treats problems in crooked or incompatible teeth, jaw bones that are not in harmony with each other or with the skull bones. Orthodontic treatment, or commonly known as braces treatment, is the name given to the treatment of these problems.

What are the causes of orthodontic problems?

The causes of orthodontic problems include both hereditary and environmental factors. Hereditary or environmental factors can cause jaw stenosis, which causes tooth crookedness.

Tooth decay due to poor oral hygiene at an early age can cause milk teeth to fall out before they should. In this case, the teeth that replace the deciduous teeth may be positioned incorrectly and cause crooked tooth alignment.

In addition, skeletal disorders may occur due to mouth breathing, finger/lip/tongue sucking habits, long-term sucking of bottles or pacifiers.

Is there an ideal age for orthodontic treatment?

The ideal age range for the correction of crooked tooth problems with orthodontic treatment can be expressed as 9-14. However, it may be the right choice for children to go to their first orthodontist appointment, ideally before the age of 7, without waiting for any problems to arise. Thus, possible orthodontic problems can be resolved faster.

How does orthodontic treatment work?

The orthodontist may decide on the treatment method according to the age of the patient for the treatment of disorders caused by the jaw bones being ahead or behind. Lower and upper jaw disorders noticed during adolescence can be resolved with orthodontic methods. Surgical methods can support the orthodontic treatment of adult patients. For this reason, it is of great importance to correct orthodontic problems with early treatment.

Depending on the professional opinion of the orthodontist, cephalometric and panoramic x-rays of the patient may be taken at the first appointment. X-rays play an important role in creating the treatment plan. At the first appointment, plaster molds showing the patient's condition before treatment can be taken. Oral hygiene is very important in orthodontic treatment. Before starting orthodontic treatment, the patient's decayed teeth should be treated. For this reason, necessary planning should be made at the first appointment.

In the next appointments, braces can be placed on the patient according to the determined plan, or if another method is determined, the application can be started. The orthodontist can present options to the patient. The reason for using more than one method is that the treatment changes according to the patient's jaw, teeth and mouth structure. The time interval between controls is determined by the method of treatment.