Many people do not like visiting the dentist, but it is a necessary part of caring for your oral hygiene. Having routine check-ups to make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy is an important part of preventing problems like cavities, tooth breakage and loss, and diseased gums. Even when you brush and floss regularly and have annual check-ups, you may still develop issues with your oral health. One of the most common issues that people have is overcrowding, which can cause teeth to grow in crooked. To address this type of problem, it is necessary to get orthodontic care in Queens, NY.
Orthodontists have more advanced dental training and deal with jaw alignment. They are able to examine, measure, and develop a care plan for any issues patients are having with tooth spacing, alignment, overcrowding, and with structural issues in the jaw such as an overbite or under bite. Common problems like overcrowding are usually caused when the patient’s mouth does not have enough space for all of their normal teeth to come in properly. This typically occurs in childhood, but it can also develop later in life. Overcrowding that occurs as an adult can be the result of wisdom teeth coming in or pushing against the other teeth from within the jaw. If you have overcrowding, your regular dentist will recognize this and refer you to orthodontic care in Queens, NY for further treatment.
Overcrowded teeth are almost always treated with corrective braces. Braces are small, square brackets that are adhered to the front of teeth and connected by wires. Your orthodontist will determine beforehand how long they estimate you will have to wear braces. Most of the time, you can expect to wear them for about a year before the teeth are straightened. During this time, you will periodically go back to the orthodontist to have the wires connecting your braces tightened or loosened, depending on how your teeth are responding. It is very important to practice extra care with your teeth when wearing braces because it is easy for food particles to get lodged in them. After your braces are removed, you will likely be fitted for a retainer, which is a clear, plastic form of your teeth that you wear while you sleep. This helps to keep your teeth from shifting back into misalignment.
