Orthodontist in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

Orthodontics is a field of dentistry that focuses on straightening and aligning teeth so that they bite together correctly. You may wish to consider orthodontics if you have concerns about overlapping, rotated, or crooked teeth, or if you have a poor bite.

This guide provides a brief overview of orthodontics. We discuss who is eligible for orthodontic treatment and the benefits of straightening your smile. Learn more about the available options and the potential duration of treatment.

What Is Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is a dental specialty that diagnoses and treats problems with malocclusion or a poor bite.

Problems that can be corrected with orthodontics include:

• Overlapping teeth.
• Overcrowded teeth.
• Crooked teeth.
• Rotated teeth.
• Spaces between teeth.
• Overbites.
• Underbites.
• Open bites.

These issues are corrected using orthodontic appliances, such as traditional fixed braces or, more often, removable clear aligners, which are frequently used for adult patients. Braces and aligners work by applying pressure to specific teeth, causing them to move into their proper positions.

Correcting these problems can significantly benefit oral health, and modern orthodontics can correct numerous bite issues. When this is the case, an orthodontist in Sheepshead Bay can provide suitable treatment to straighten your teeth, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of a strong, healthy, and attractive smile.

Orthodontic Options

There are numerous orthodontic appliances available that might be required for very complex problems. Those outlined below are simply three of the most frequently used.

1. Fixed Braces

These use brackets that are fixed onto teeth for the duration of treatment, powered by wires and elastics. Options include fixed metal braces, clear ceramic braces, and lingual braces, which are fitted on the inner surfaces of the teeth.

2. Clear Aligners

These are an alternative to having fixed braces and work extremely well. Instead of brackets and wires, you use removable, clear, plastic aligner trays to straighten your teeth.

These aligner trays are custom-made, and you wear a series of them to gradually move your teeth into predetermined positions.

3. Palate Expanders

Palate expanders are generally used during childhood while a child’s facial bones are still soft and are growing and developing. A palate expander helps guide this growth by expanding the upper palate, allowing it to accommodate the developing teeth more easily. Occasionally, these devices are used during adulthood.

4. Retainers

Retainers must be worn after completing orthodontic treatment. They do not move teeth but instead retain them in the right places, preventing them from drifting back toward their original positions.

Retainers can be fixed or removable, and initially must be worn most or all of the time while the jawbone remodels around your newly positioned teeth.

To protect your smile during sports or from teeth grinding, we also recommend custom mouthguards that fit comfortably and safeguard your orthodontic results.

Who Can Have Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontics can help young children, teens, and adults as part of comprehensive family dental care.

Young Children

If you have a young child, we will closely monitor the development of their teeth and jaws. As part of our comprehensive children’s dental services, we may recommend they see a Sheepshead Bay orthodontist for an early orthodontic evaluation. Sometimes an evaluation occurs as early as age 5 or 6.

Early orthodontic treatment may be implemented as a two-part treatment plan, where initial treatment is provided while the child is still young. Early treatment can address common problems caused by oral habits such as mouth breathing or thumb sucking.

If needed, further corrections can be made during their tweens or teenage years. Often, these corrections may be more cosmetically oriented.

Teens

Wearing braces during the teenage years is often seen as a rite of passage. Previously, it was common to see teens with a mouthful of metal braces. These are still widely used and are often customized by patients with bright-colored elastics.

However, it’s increasingly common for teens to benefit from less visible options, such as removable clear aligners, which are easier to care for and just as effective as fixed braces when worn correctly.

Adults

Increasingly, we see more adult patients looking for the best orthodontist in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Some patients may have previously received orthodontics during childhood, but the results have relapsed. Others didn’t have the chance earlier in life and now want to straighten their smile.

Can Anyone Have Orthodontics?

Individuals interested in orthodontics should have good dental health and no serious issues, such as untreated tooth decay or gum disease. Being older is not a problem.

Attempting to move teeth in an unhealthy mouth can lead to complications. If you are interested in orthodontics and currently have active gum disease or cavities, we will need to manage these conditions first before discussing orthodontics.

Benefits of Orthodontics

Most people, particularly adults, will choose to see an orthodontist in Sheepshead Bay because they want to improve the appearance of their smile cosmetically. Improving the aesthetics of your smile is a perfectly valid reason for treatment, but orthodontics can potentially provide some important health benefits.

These include:

• Improved oral health. Straight teeth are easier to keep clean, which reduces your risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
• More even wear and tear on teeth. Straighter teeth will wear more evenly, reducing the risk of chipping and cracking in some teeth. Excessive wear and tear can occur if some teeth bite down before others in a misaligned bite, causing uneven wear.
• Reduce your risk of TMD. Orthodontics can help protect your temporomandibular joints, also known as your jaw joints. These hinge your lower jaw to your skull. If your teeth are out of alignment, it can place these joints under pressure, leading to a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). TMD can be extremely painful, causing jaw pain, facial pain, and chronic headaches.

Are there any Disadvantages of Orthodontics?

There are very few disadvantages to choosing this treatment, but you will need to follow your orthodontist’s advice carefully. To get the best out of treatment, you must use the braces or aligners as recommended.

For example, fixed braces require dietary modifications, as certain hard, crunchy, or sticky foods can damage the braces and become stuck around them. They also require extra time and effort to keep clean. If you don’t keep them clean, the risk of tooth decay and gum disease increases.

Aligners are much easier to use, but they do need to be worn regularly for the correct number of hours each day. Failure to do so could prolong treatment and may result in a less successful outcome.

How Long Will Orthodontics Take?

The time required to complete your treatment plan depends on the complexity of the issues that need correction. Cosmetically oriented issues can often be corrected very quickly, sometimes in a matter of just a few months. More complex bite problems may take one to two years to correct.

If you’re ready to achieve a straighter, healthier smile, VitaDent Brooklyn Dental Group offers personalized orthodontic care for patients of all ages. Whether you’re interested in clear aligners, braces, or other modern treatments, our experienced team of highly-rated dentists will design a plan tailored to your needs. Contact us today to schedule your orthodontic consultation at our convenient Avenue X office in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn (11235).