Much like the doctors who choose to specialize in pediatrics, nephrology or ophthalmology after their medical school graduation, dentists all over also have the option to choose to specialize in a particular area of dentistry. Orthodontics is a specialization in the field of dentistry which is concerned with the diagnosing and prevention of dental and facial irregularities such as malocclusions. Many orthodontic practices are concerned with the field of dentofacial orthopedics and have a very high success rate. Invisalign in Orange County is also a specialty of orthodontist.
Orthodontists are basically qualified dentists who take up this field of study for a two to three year university based study to embark on a journey to gain extensive experience of being a clinician in this form of practice of public servitude. Orthodontists gain expertise in recognizing and prevention of misalignments of the jaw and teeth. Problems associated with misalignments range from difficulty of maintaining oral hygiene, difficulty of chewing to speech defects. Some of the commonly reported problems are anteroposterior deviations which mean either of the lower jaw being ahead of the upper jaw or vice versa which causes the patient difficulty to articulate words as he or she speaks or to chew food properly; overcrowding which means due to lack of space in the jawbone teeth grow in a haphazard manner instead of being in alignment; and in a few exceptional cases, aesthetic issues where the shape of the face has been distorted due to malocclusion or a bad bite.
First the orthodontist conducts a thorough checkup by means of panoramic x-rays, and then suggests the best alternative path based on the condition the patient is in. That could be brackets or an archwire, which connects each bracket. Dental braces could be made out of ceramics, metal or transparent material. Headgears or facemasks are used when the problem is in developmental stage. This device keeps the teeth and jawbones into alignment and is designed differently by the orthodontist to suit a particular patient’s ailment. Treatments such as these are moderately costly as it requires high level expertise to perform efficiently. But the cost comes with a probably lifelong freedom from disparities and the discomfort associated with it. Then there are aligners which can be hardly recognizable by people. It can be removed when the patient wishes to eat, brush, floss. The dental aligners are generally kept for two to three weeks before they are removed for more firm and tighter ones. Palatal expanders also prove to be beneficial. These are a special type of appliance build to make the arch of the upper jaw wider. Retainers are used to stop the teeth from moving back to their pre-treatment positions. These can also stop children from sucking their thumb continuously when modified.