How Does an Orthodontist Know I Need Orthodontic Care?

How Does an Orthodontist Know I Need Orthodontic Care?

There are many reasons why someone might need orthodontic care. Although it’s typically thought of as only an aesthetic fix, orthodontic treatment can be necessary to prevent everything from wear and tear on your teeth to tooth decay to conditions of the jaw like TMJ. Sometimes a patient may have teeth that appear perfect, but that doesn’t mean that they might not need orthodontic care.

To determine whether orthodontic work might be necessary, things like a clinical exam from a Winnipeg dental implant specialist, x-rays, photos, plaster models of your jaw and teeth might all be utilized. Once all the information is gathered, the patient and the orthodontist can sit down and devise the perfect plan of care.

Reasons that you might need orthodontic care

You have an overbite

An overbite is sometimes referred to as “buckteeth.” It is a condition where the front teeth alignment is overly forward-placed and sticks out over the lower teeth. Overbites can over time lead to jaw problems and tooth decay that can end in early tooth loss.

You have an underbite

An underbite is when your mouth has somewhat of a “bulldog” appearance because the lower teeth are severely forward and don’t meet with the upper, which are too far back. Again, if not corrected, an underbite can result in early tooth decay even if your teeth appear healthy otherwise.

You have a crossbite

When you are diagnosed with a crossbite, it’s the result of your upper teeth falling slightly in front of the lower teeth as you bite. If your teeth don’t meet, then it puts excessive wear and tear on your back teeth, which can result in tooth disease and decay, as well as jaw issues.

You have an open bite

If you have an open bite, it means that when you bite down, the surface of your front or side teeth don’t bite together.

You have a misplaced midline

If you have a misplaced midline problem, then it means that the center of your lower teeth and the center of your upper teeth don’t line up. Your bite should be symmetrical; if it is not, then your teeth will suffer from excess wear, which may lead to tooth decay over time.

You have spacing

If you have spacing issues, then that is something that you will likely notice through simply looking at your teeth. Spaces or gaps between your teeth can be the result of a missing tooth, or of your teeth not being the right size to fill in the spaces around the teeth. That leaves pockets for bacteria to grow.

You have crowding

Like spacing, crowding is something that you can typically see from the outside. Crowding teeth usually don’t fit right and force the teeth to move and shift. If you have overcrowding, then it might be necessary for you to have orthodontic work to create more space in your mouth to give teeth the room they need to be healthy.

If you are in need of orthodontic work, there are many ways that you can fix the problem. Sometimes it might take more than one appliance, or your bite or teeth might have to be fixed in various stages. The key is to know what type of orthodontic problem you have to know how to address it. Your orthodontic work will probably need to be many different processes to get not just the straight and beautiful smile you desire, but the healthy bite that will extend the life of your teeth and ensure that you don’t experience early tooth decay – or even worse, tooth loss.

The only way to know for sure that you or your child aren’t in need of orthodontic care is to have an evaluation by a professional orthodontist. It’s not just about taking a look to see if your teeth are straight – it is necessary to get a full profile of what is going on in your mouth to ensure that you don’t have an orthodontic problem that can cause you further issues in the future. To be sure that your teeth are in tip-top shape going forward, it is worthwhile to have an orthodontist evaluate your teeth and bite to make sure that everything is in line for your future.