Often people think that orthodontic treatment is just limited to straighten their irregular teeth or fix the gaps in between the teeth. But! it can have much more drastic effect on them. Hence it is very important to be aware of these facts and subsequently choose the Dentist for you or your kids orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontic treatment is one of the most sought after Dental treatment by the patients. It is often the first interaction of a patient with the Dentist. Especially in India, where parents are not that careful enough about the problems in deciduous teeth(milk Teeth) of their kids, thinking that they are not permanent, hence could cause no harm to the permanent teeth (which is so not true!). The first time a kid comes to a dental clinic is when his/her parents seek to fix the irregularities in their teeth.
But, there is another major issue which stays unaddressed, orthodontic treatment is not limited to fixing up of irregularities in the teeth. There are lots of other issues that need to be addressed while continuing with the orthodontic treatment. Else the patient will have to suffer major damages to their natural teeth in the future.
That is why it is very important for everyone to have knowledge about these problems and accordingly choose a good orthodontic specialist, who can address these problems.
We will try to highlight some very commonly suffered problems by the patients in this article.
a) Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
Many times the teeth of the patient look symmetrical and all the gaps are fixed, but the occlusion among the upper and lower teeth gets disturbed. This causes imbalance in pressures caused during chewing action. This condition is also called malocclusion. Also if the patient is already suffering from TMJ problems and the orthodontic treatment is progressed before resolving this issue, the condition could aggravate. Problems in TMJ can lead to multiple other problems as depicted in the image
b) De-calcification of Enamel & Caries!
De-calcification of enamel (breaking down of calcium from enamel) is a common adverse effect of orthodontic treatment. De-calcification is considered to be the first step in cavity formation.
Lesion are formed on the tooth surfaces, typically within four weeks of orthodontic treatment. The standard protocol to address this problem is to use fluoridated tooth paste for brushing. Additionally rinsing with recommended sodium fluoride solution can also minimize the de-calcification. It is a common issue and your dentist should address it time to time during the treatment.
c) Resorption of Roots
It is a major problem that can be caused due to unwanted or excess pressures created by orthodontic procedures on the teeth. While orthodontic treatment the teeth have to undergo different kinds of pressure to create the desired movement for the teeth.
But, If the pressures are more than the recommended values, the excess force could be very bad for the roots of your teeth. This could lead to resorption of root instead of the jaw bone towards the direction of pressure side.
Orthodontic treatment like any other medical treatment, can lead to unfavorable side effects in the patient. Hence it is important that the patient or the guardians in case of minors, to be aware of such problems and the dentist must communicate the same to them. Also the Dentist must keep addressing these problems as an when required during the course of treatment and afterwards also.
That is why it is all the more important for you to choose your Dentist for orthodontic treatment more wisely.