Overview
The blog post “When to Seek Orthodontic Treatment” on Dream Orthodontics’ website is a comprehensive guide that highlights the importance of recognizing signs that indicate the need for orthodontic care. It discusses various oral issues such as crowded teeth, crooked smiles, gaps between teeth, open bites, and crossbites, emphasizing their potential adverse effects on oral health and overall well-being. The post also provides an overview of available treatments, including braces and Invisalign, underscoring the role they play in helping with these conditions. It encourages individuals noticing any of these signs to seek professional consultation at Dream Orthodontics in Surrey, BC, with the contact information conveniently listed at the end of the post. This blog serves as a crucial resource for those considering or in need of orthodontic treatment.
Everybody deserves to feel confident when they smile. Unfortunately, being born with genetically straight teeth is a rare trait. So, at a point, you may begin to feel that your smile needs extra care. You may think that your teeth are misaligned, protrude too far, or the spacing is too large. If you are in this boat, don’t fret, an orthodontist in Surrey can help to address these issues.
On the other hand, many people are happy with their smile and unsure if they truly need orthodontic treatment. So, to help you make a choice, we will be walking through some of the top five signs that you may need orthodontic treatment.
Your Teeth Form a Crowd
Some people suffer from crowded teeth. This condition means that several of your teeth battle for space in your mouth while growing, causing them to appear out of shape. One of the most common signs of crowding is when several teeth appear twisted or misaligned in one area of your mouth. Genetics and jaw size are often the main culprits of this issue, but external factors may also play a role.
When you have crowded teeth, you may suffer from an expansive range of symptoms, such as teeth overlapping each other, problems chewing, and bleeding gums when flossing. Naturally, as crowded teeth tend to be tremendously misaligned, they become very challenging to clean. This difficulty often leads to a build-up of germs and plaque. The high chances of tooth decay, gum disease, and jaw pains are why we always suggest orthodontic treatment for people battling crowded teeth.
Your Smile is Visibly Crooked
Having a crooked or bent smile is one of the most evident signs that you may benefit from orthodontic care. Essentially, this means that your teeth do not have correct alignment with each other. In such cases, some of your teeth may protrude further than others, while others may recede into your mouth.
To know if you have a crooked smile, grab a mirror, and lean down, observing the alignment of your teeth as you do so. If they do not follow the same path, your smile may be crooked. In some cases, you may also find it difficult to brush or floss around such teeth because it is heavily misaligned. When you struggle to brush or floss because of the arrangement of your teeth, then you may struggle to maintain a healthy oral hygiene routine, leading to issues such as cavities or tooth decay.
Fortunately, as crooked smiles are one of the most common issues people face, orthodontists have developed tremendous methods of dealing with this issue, such as metal braces, ceramic braces or Invisalign. If you believe that you are currently battling this problem and would like your teeth realigned, don’t hesitate to visit our practice or book a free consultation.
Your Teeth Show Signs of Gaps
Gaps are generally undesired spaces between two or more teeth. In most cases, a gap may only occur once (diastema) though some people may have multiple gaps through their teeth. This condition is generally caused in the developmental phase when your teeth struggle to grow out properly. Unfortunately, this can leave both physical and social impacts on your health.
While you may not be able to explore if you have gaps at the back of your teeth, you can always check for this condition at the front by using a mirror. Alternatively, you may also use floss to check for holes by observing resistance. Generally, you should expect opposition as the floss moves between your teeth. However, if you find that the floss slides smoothly between each tooth, we suggest seeking orthodontic care. Fortunately, you can help to tighten your gaps with braces or an Invisalign.
Your Bite is Open
An open bite is one of the most challenging issues that orthodontists treat. This problem generally occurs when the top and bottom teeth don’t touch each other despite your mouth being closed, leaving a space between them. This inability to make your upper and bottom teeth touch each other leads to an expanse of problems such as tooth and gum decay, making it a serious issue.
Additionally, people with open bites may struggle with speech problems, pain while chewing, and difficulty swallowing. Naturally, the expansiveness of these issues makes the need to treat this condition tremendously urgent, and you must seek an orthodontic consultation as soon as you notice this. During your checkup, you can expect us to inspect your teeth with x-rays and 3D images. This examination will allow us to dive into the issues and offer a practical and effective solution.
You Have a Bad Bite
A crossbite is a common condition where your bottom teeth stick out past your front teeth. To check if you have this condition, you can grab a mirror and look through your teeth. If you find that part of your bottom teeth extends past your front teeth, you may have a crossbite. However, you may not be able to inspect your molars and premolars during this process, so you may still need an orthodontic inspection to confirm this.
While various factors may lead to a crossbite, the condition is mainly a result of genetics or issues during development, such as sucking of the thumb. Other factors that may lead to a crossbite are extensive use of pacifiers, mouth-breathing, and thrusting of the tongue against the bottom teeth.
Unfortunately, a crossbite can cause extensive damage if you do not treat it as soon as you notice it. Some of the issues you may face are throbbing headaches, a build-up of plaque and cavities, tooth loss, and poor sleep quality. However, orthodontists can comfortably treat crossbites if they detect them at the correct phase. While braces are one of the best weapons against crossbites, as we can use them to provide re-alignment, other tools can also be used, such as expanders.
Everybody Deserves a Good Smile
Everybody deserves to feel confident when they smile, and you should never feel ashamed of getting orthodontic care. If you or a child is currently battling any of these issues, don’t hesitate to visit our practice. Our orthodontists have extensive experience in treating all these problems and will be glad to offer any help we can. Contact us today at Dream Orthodontics for a consultation.