Options for Treating Shifting Teeth
During your life, you will probably need to make an appointment at an orthodontic practice because of poor position or misalignment of your teeth. Shifting teeth are a very common problem. Orthodontic treatment can be offered from a very young age until adolescence in order to correct and/or prevent any dental defects and to promote good tooth growth. But you can also consult an orthodontist as an adult to correct any anomaly in order to give you a pretty smile.
How does teeth grow?
First of all, tooth growth occurs in several stages. The first teeth appear in babies around the age of 6 months: they are called milk teeth and there will be 20 of them. A child will keep all of his milk teeth approximately until the age of 6, since this is From this age the first milk teeth fall out to gradually give way to so-called “permanent” teeth. Indeed, from 6 to 12 years old, permanent teeth develop in place of milk teeth in order to obtain adult teeth.
Then, around age 12, the second permanent molars grow behind the first molars. As for the wisdom teeth, also called permanent third molars, they will grow behind the second molars around the age of 18 but sometimes they will never surface or will have to be removed due to lack of space in the jaw. Thus, the number of permanent teeth in an adult is 32. During these key stages, it is therefore advisable to make an appointment with an orthodontist in order to ensure the good health of the teeth.
Why do our teeth shift?
The appearance of new permanent teeth can then disrupt the correct positioning and alignment of the teeth already present if a lack of space is created within the jaw. Indeed, when a new tooth appears it seeks to develop within the jaw but if it lacks space, it can push the other teeth, which will create anomalies in the dentition, or it can - even position yourself incorrectly by pushing sideways. On the other hand, bad oral habits can also contribute to the poor position of the teeth such as thumb sucking or poor positioning of the tongue which affect the correct positioning of the incisors.
Which orthodontic treatment to choose?
A wide range of orthodontic treatments exists to address many oral and dental problems. Depending on the degree of correction to be made to your teeth, an orthodontist will offer you the most suitable treatment for your specific case.
For fairly standard anomalies, several versions of dental appliances may be offered to you, such as a classic dental appliance with metal rings, a dental appliance with more discreet ceramic rings, or a lingual dental appliance with fixed rings. on the inside of the teeth.
A more recent orthodontic treatment is very popular with patients are Invisalign aligners or other invisible mouth gutters. Because they are invisible and removable, they help correct shifting teeth while maintaining the aesthetics of your smile. Many patients also report that these make it easier to take care of their teeth than braces.
For teething problems linked to a jaw that is too narrow or poorly positioned, several options will be offered: in children, dentofacial orthopedics can correct the positioning of the jaw, on the other hand in adults it may be necessary to be resorted to maxillofacial surgery to correct the jaw shift.