Dental braces and other teeth straightening equipment are mainly designed to straighten your teeth. At least, that is all the general public knows about the process. Dig a little deeper and you will discover that braces are used to fix all manner of problems in the human mouth. While a set of straight teeth is the end result of a long time wearing braces, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. Continue reading to find out what other issues can lead you to require a set of braces.
Overcrowding
Wonky teeth do not occur without reason. Most people will find that their teeth have come in crooked because of an overcrowding issue. This means that too many teeth have grown in a space that is too small, the roots of which push the other teeth aside and cause the to slant or lean forward.
The solution to this problem is simple. The patient will need to have several teeth removed so that the braces can pull the other teeth into their place. The number of teeth that need to be taken out will depend on the severity of the overcrowding, but most people will only need to lose two teeth from the top and bottom for the procedure to work.
Over Bites And Under Bites
An overbite or underbite can be caused by an unaligned jaw. This will cause the top set of teeth to protrude too far in the case of an overbite, and the bottom set to do the same with an underbite. It is common for dentists to be tasked with how to correct an overbite; however, the answer is always the same. The patient will need a set of braces for overbites.
As with the overcrowding issue, dental braces can slowly pull the jaw forward or back depending on where the issue is. This process requires the use of metal wires and rubber bands and is relatively harmless with regular tightening appointments.
Open Bites
An open bite is caused by a large gap between the top and bottom teeth. Patients with this type of issue will struggle to close their mouth with their teeth touching and is caused by teeth growing around an obstruction, such as a dummy or too much thumb-sucking.
Open bites may fix themselves once the patient’s adult teeth come through; however, there are cases where the damage has extended to affect the gums. Therefore, you will need a set of dental braces to re-align the jaw so that your teeth meet correctly. Many people with an open bite will need to breathe through their mouths, which can be quite uncomfortable at night and lead to disorders such as sleep apnoea. That is why it is important to get this issue sorted at an early age.
Summary
The idea of dental braces can be quite scary for some, which is why you may find it beneficial to learn about how they work. The issues above can be detrimental as you get older, which is why braces are a great solution.