Braces – Ask Dr. Farooq Sorathia
Braces – To get or not to get? That is the question!
There are so many people out there with this question on their minds thinking do I need braces or not? Not everyone needs braces, whereas some people do need them. Multiple factors come into play when considering who needs braces and who doesn’t. I’m only going to speak on a few. Your dentist or orthodontist will be the best person to advise you on your needs.
There are different types of treatment where braces can be involved; and these are childhood interceptive orthodontics, functional, and surgical. Interceptive orthodontics are used in growing children usually after the age of 6 years to about 13 years. This phase of orthodontics is meant to train, or modify the growth of the jaws and also help in the alignment of teeth.
Functional orthodontics is when you want to get all the teeth nicely aligned in a nice ‘U’ shaped arch form, without any interference with the meshing together of the teeth. This phase manages the crowding of teeth allowing for a stable dentition which also protects the joint at which the lower jaw attaches to the skull. In my previous article on the need for replacement of teeth, I mentioned the importance of having the teeth in contact with each other to provide support for one another. If the teeth are not properly aligned, then there are many detrimental effects. One of them has to do with plaque retention because of hard to clean areas. This would give rise to caries, and difficulty for access to caries so that the dentist may place a filling. Imagine if the teeth were all crowded together, how would you be able to brush all the surfaces well, and also how does the crowding give support to the adjacent teeth?
There are various levels of malocclusions (a term used for the improper alignment of teeth). Your dentist or orthodontist is the best person to determine the type of malocclusion and then develop a treatment plan accordingly.
When you next book your appointment for your dental checkup, please request your dentist to assess your occlusion and to help you determine if you need braces or not.
