Orthodontic Treatments

Orthodontic Treatments

Orthodontics is the dental speciality associated with straightening protruded, rotated or malpositioned teeth in children and adults with fixed or removable braces. An Orthodontist is a dentist who specialises in this treatment.

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When a tooth is out of position in the dental arch it absorbs more biting force than its neighbours, causing it to loosen prematurely. An orthodontist starts your treatment by taking a detailed look in your mouth. The next step is often to make a study model of your teeth to do a detailed analysis of your bite. After this detailed analysis starts with the treatment.

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Orthodontics physically moves teeth with braces into their proper position by pushing them through bone. When the proper amount of pressure is exerted on teeth bone, disappears in the area where the tooth is being pushed into and reappears in the area where the tooth was originally located.

This is normally done using specially made braces. It is usually healthier to treat malpositioned or crooked teeth orthodontically as orthodontics actually corrects the problem. The major drawback to orthodontics is that treatment involves six or more months of annoying braces.

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Dental Braces

These deformities could also be treated by non-orthodontic means, but non-orthodontic methods focuses on hiding the problem rather than correcting it. However, main advantage with non-orthodontic treatment is that it usually takes only one to two weeks. Malpositioned teeth can be made to appear in proper position with non-orthodontic methods of sculpting, bonding, porcelain laminates (veneers) and/or porcelain crowns.

Sculpting is gentle reshaping the teeth with a drill. This technique can simply and dramatically reshape crooked teeth. The benefits of this technique are its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, it cannot be used to treat more severe cosmetic problems.

Prosthetic Treatments

Prosthetic Treatments

Denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and adjacent tissues. It is made of acrylic resin, sometimes in combination with various metals. A denture improves chewing ability and speech, and provides support for facial muscles. It will greatly enhance the facial appearance and smile.

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Partial Dentures

Candidates for complete dentures are patients who have lost most or all of their teeth. Complete dentures replace all the teeth, while a partial denture fills in the spaces created by missing teeth and prevents other teeth from changing position. Complete dentures are either “conventional” or “immediate.” A conventional denture is placed in the mouth about a month after all the teeth are removed to allow for proper healing, whereas an immediate denture is placed as soon as the teeth are removed. The drawback behind an immediate denture is that it may require more adjustments after the healing has taken place. A partial denture is suitable for those who have some natural teeth remaining.

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Upper Jaw : Patient wears Complete Denture

A dentist can make a full conventional denture when all teeth have been lost or all extraction sites have healed (up to eight weeks or longer.) The process takes about one month and would involve the following steps. After the initial diagnosis an impression and a wax bite are made to determine vertical dimensions and proper jaw position. Then a “try-in” is made and placed to assure proper colour, shape and fit. Then the final denture is made and placed.

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Implants & retaining bar in place

New denture wearers need time to get accustomed to their new “teeth” because even the best fitting dentures will feel awkward at first. While most patients can begin to speak normally within a few hours, many patients experience discomfort for several days to a few weeks. It is often advised to start with soft, easy-to-chew foods. In addition to the discomfort, denture wearers often experience slight change in facial appearance, increased salivary flow, or minor speech difficulty.

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Retaining bar with retentive clips, ready to be transferred to denture

A denture is fragile, so it is important to handle it with care. Remove and brush the denture daily, preferably with a brush designed specifically for cleaning dentures, using either a denture cleanser or toothpastes. Never use harsh, abrasive cleansers, including abrasives toothpastes, because they may scratch the surface of the denture. Sterilisation with boiling water is also to be avoided, because it may cause it to become warped. If you wear a partial denture be sure to remove it before brushing your natural teeth. When not in use, soak it in a cleanser solution or in water. Get in the habit of keeping the denture in the same safe and handy place to reduce the likelihood of misplacement.

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Retentive Clips

While you may be advised to wear your denture almost constantly during the first two weeks- even while you sleep-under normal circumstances it is considered best to remove it at night. Research has shown that removing the denture for at least eight hours during either the day or night allows the gum tissue to rest and allows normal stimulation and cleansing by the tongue and saliva. This promotes better long-term health of the gums.

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Complete Dentures

It is important to continue having regular dental checkups so that a dentist can examine oral tissues for signs of disease or cancer. As of aging, your mouth will continue to change as the bone under your denture shrinks or recedes. To maintain a proper fit over time, it may be necessary to adjust your denture or possibly remake your denture. Never attempt to adjust a denture yourself and do not use denture adhesives for a prolonged period because it can contribute to bone loss. When you are in doubt, consult your dentist.

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Over Dentures fixed into implants

Fixed partial dentures or FPD are tooth replacements that are fixed permanently in the mouth and cannot be removed for routine cleaning by the patient. These dentures are made to take support from adjacent natural teeth. Unfortunately these dentures can replace only a few missing teeth. When a large number of teeth are missing one has to go in for a removable partial denture.

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Lower implants in place

Fixed partial dentures are of various types. They can be made of porcelain or metallic alloys. The metallic FPD’s are made of either gold alloys or chrome cobalt alloys. Metallic FPDs are fixed partial dentures that are made of metal alloys such as gold alloy or chrome cobalt alloy. The metallic FPD’s are used mostly in the back teeth, as they are not esthetic in appearance. In case aesthetics is important the metal crowns can be given an acrylic or porcelain facing over the areas that are visible to the exterior so as to make them esthetically acceptable.

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Lower jaw: Fixed denture secured to implants with screws

Removable partial dentures or RPD usually consist of replacement teeth attached to pink or gum-coloured plastic bases, which are connected by metal framework. Removable partial dentures attach to your natural teeth with metal clasps or devices called precision attachments. Precision attachments are generally more aesthetic than metal clasps and they are nearly invisible. Crowns on your natural teeth may improve the fit of a removable partial denture and they are usually required with attachments. Dentures with precision attachments generally cost more than those with metal clasps. Consult with your dentist to find out which type is right for you.

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Final implant prosthesis.Upper jaw: removable “overdenture”. Lower jaw: fixed “hybrid” denture

Dentures are no longer the only way to restore a mouth that has little or no non-restorable teeth. Strategically placed support, or implants, can now be used to support permanently cemented bridges, eliminating the need for a denture. The cost tends to be greater, but the implants and bridges more closely resemble the “feel” of real teeth. Dental implants are becoming the alternative of choice to dentures, but not everyone is a candidate for implants.