Orthodontia is the branch of cosmetic dentistry that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. Braces are one of the most prominent tools used in orthodontia. Of late, braces have become one among the most popular facial enhancing tools. Even adults like Tom Cruise are using braces to improve their smile. An orthodontist is the responsible person for placing braces. Dr.Prashant Dhole, M.D.S. (Orthodontia) is our consulting orthodontist. If you have uneven teeth, they would ruin your beauty as well as health. Crooked teeth are known to be more responsible for causing teeth decay and gum problems. When you have poorly aligned teeth, your chewing can eventually damage your jaws joints and facial muscles. You may use permanent or temporary orthodontic tools and get your uneven teeth straightened.

Who All Are Candidates For Orthodontic Treatment?

People of all ages are choosing these procedures for the following reasons:

Malocclusion - bite or occlusion is not hitting properly.
Tooth misalignment or crooked teeth
Teeth that is not enhancing the person's beauty

The right age for orthodontic procedures is either pre teen years or teenage years. As the teeth and jaws are growing at this time, they can be easily manipulated to provide the desired results. There are many adults like Tom Cruise who are opting for these procedures in order to enhance their look. As their teeth and jaw are not growing any more, these procedures may take a much longer duration than youngsters.

Causes of Malocclusion

Hereditary. An example would be gaining your father's smaller jaws and mother's big teeth. This way you will not have sufficient space in your jaw for all your teeth to occupy.
Trauma. Any time you lose a tooth, the neighboring teeth are going to wander in to that empty space.
Diseases. Tooth decay, gum problems etc can cause you to lose a tooth and this will tempt the neighboring teeth to drift in to that space.
Malnutrition. Lack of proper nutrition may cause problems in your teeth or jaw growth.
Bad Habits. Lower lip biting and thumb sucking are two examples where the teeth may be forced out of its normal position.

How To Take Good Care Of Your Braces?

Some of the food items you consume as well as plaque are going to get accumulated on your braces. During the orthodontic procedure, if you do not stick to a proper dental care regimen, you may be risking dental problems like tooth decay or gingivitis.

You must do every thing to get rid of plaque every day. Some of the things you can do are:

Use a soft toothbrush or an orthodontic toothbrush specially designed for this situation.
As flossing between braces is not an easy task, use of super floss or floss threaders can make the job easier for you. You may also get the help of an inter-dental brush to remove plaque and food particles stuck in between the braces and teeth.