Importance of Having Straight Beautiful and Healthy Teeth

The most common reason why people want straight teeth is to have a confident beautiful smile. However, there are far more important reasons to fix crooked, overlapping, or overcrowded teeth.

Teeth that are evenly aligned are frequently easier to clean, potentially reducing the risk of common dental issues like tooth decay and gum disease. Teeth that are crooked or misaligned affect the way a person chews, talks and the way they smile. Food is more likely to get stuck between teeth that lead to cavities. In some cases, it affects the way the jaws line up causing pain and discomfort.

Braces are the most efficient and accurate way to straighten teeth. Bite problems such as crowding, cross-bites, gaps between teeth and the jawbone can be treated with appliances such as fixed braces.

 

Early Orthodontic Assessment

By the age of 7, your child’s adult molars are beginning to erupt. This allows our professional dentist to evaluate their bite if there are developing orthodontic problems and even assess their whole face development. It may seem a little too early but this is an optimal period for children to begin treatment.

If you notice the following behaviour, it is best to see us for an assessment:

• Early loss of baby teeth (before age 5)
• Mouth breathing
• Protruding front teeth
• Biting or chewing difficulties
• Speech Impediment
• Thumb or finger sucking

An early orthodontic assessment is extremely helpful to prevent more serious problems when they grow up.

 

Types of Orthodontic Treatment

There are different types of orthodontic treatment:

1. Metal Braces

We will be using metal brackets and wires to hold your teeth together. The biggest concern with metal braces is on your appearance. Unlike the old traditional ones, modern metal braces are significantly smaller and less obvious. They are also the least expensive option.

2. Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces are more discreet than metal braces. Yes, they are the same size and shape as the metal braces but the brackets blend with your natural tooth colour making it less obvious than metal braces.

3. Lingual Braces

Similar to the metal braces, both use metal brackets and wires to hold your teeth together. The only difference is that lingual braces are placed behind your teeth (inside part of the mouth). It makes them invisible for people to see but it is relatively harder to clean.

4. Invisalign

If you think orthodontics at iSmile is only for children and teenagers then think again as Invisalign can prove you wrong. This orthodontic system is hugely popular with adults and with older teenagers due to its clear plastic, nearly invisible removable aligners that fit tightly over the teeth and which provide a high degree of discretion. By using Invisalign, you can comfortably straighten your teeth without anyone knowing and it has very little impact on everyday life.

Invisalign is very easy to use and provides highly predictable results. Treatment is carefully pre-planned using x-rays, photos and models of your teeth and you can even see how your smile will look before you begin wearing your very first aligner. During treatment, all you have to do is wear the aligners for at least 22 hours each day and each set is used for two weeks before being discarded for the next set in the series. Your Invisalign treatment continues until your teeth are straightened. This can take anywhere from a few months while most people will have straightened their smile within a year.

You can take out the aligners whenever you want to eat or drink and for brushing and flossing and the whole system is extremely hassle-free. We will need to see you at regular intervals just to make sure everything is progressing as planned but these visits to our dentist at iSmile should be pretty short.

No matter what age you are it is never too late or too early to achieve healthy, beautiful, straight teeth. Our dentists can help find the best orthodontic treatment that suits you.

To book a free courtesy orthodontic consultation or to discuss an orthodontic plan just for you, call us at (02) 6925 5511. We are located at 316 Edward Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650.