Not just repairing smiles

Tanvir Singh

Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the mouth and related structures and tissues, particularly in the jaw and facial area. 

To meet the ever increasing demands of the dental problems dentistry now possesses seven speciality branches amongst them one is orthodontics. Orthodontics deals with the correction of malocclusion and also provides the preventive treatment that can decrease the need of orthodontic treatment. People requiring orthodontic treatment have malocclusion. The malocclusion can be defined as an occlusion in which there is a malrelationship between the arches in any of the planes or in which there are anomalies in tooth position beyond the normal limits. The malocclusion effects oral health, increases prevalence of dental caries and can cause temporoman dibular joint disorders.

Good dental appearance makes people confident and people presumed that it is a step towards success. Because of this fact, demand of orthodontic treatment is increasing. 

Role and responsibilities

Modern orthodontic practices have grown largely over the past 20 years reducing the procedures of tooth extractions,,

For orthodontic practitioners and following and updating themselves with the latest technology can help you deliver an enhanced level of treatment and amazing results.  There are  no substitutes for the skilled, experienced, and well-trained orthodontic practitioner. The improvements in tools and techniques enable orthodontists  to achieve great results with far less discomfort and in a much shorter treatment time than was ever before possible.  Ortho treatment needs to consider not only the severity of malocclusion traits, but also age group and dentition period of the children to be treated . This way, treatment initiated early on during the late mixed dentition or at the beginning of the permanent dentition can avoid further damage to the latter.

 Assimilating change

The most important  changes in the orthodontic industry  is self ligating wires that affect tooth movement. Unlike traditional ligating systems, new passive self-ligating brackets use a slide mechanism that opens to allow the provider to place the wire inside and then close it, creating a slot where the wire is free to glide inside. This approach not only reduces friction and pressure, but also results in more effective forces that make treatment more comfortable for the patient. 

Inspite of the growing needs of orthodontic treatment required number of skilled orthodontists who are able to practice modern orthodontics are very few.

Field of orthodontists is a fast growing branch  incorporating modern techniques to decrease the discomfort and at the same time provide best results in less time which helps people to achieve the best smile that one can have.

— The writer is a practicing Orthodontist