ORTHODONTICS EXPLAINED

Orthodontics describes the dental treatment that is carried out to straighten crooked, overcrowded teeth or close the gaps that can occur in-between teeth. Some treatments are classed as cosmetic and patients who have slight over-crowding or crooked teeth can benefit from corrective treatment that can result in a beautiful set of evenly spaced well aligned teeth. Many of our patients tell us the difference that a pleasing appearance has upon their self confidence and even their career and social achievements

Sometimes treatment is advised when teeth are very irregular which can lead to abnormal wear of teeth and can give rise to unnatural stress being exerted on supporting bones and joints. This can lead to a variety of symptoms such as migraine and other musculoskeletal pain.

Occasionally more severe misalignment may require surgery. This is called orthognathic treatment and is normally only prescribed in those cases where the upper and lower jaw are significantly different in size. However cases of this nature are relatively rare.