More Than Just a Pretty Face: Dental Orthodontics and Oral Health
In a looks obsessed society, often appearances trump other concerns. Whether it is cosmetic surgery or fad diets, appearances can kill. Some over do things such as surgery becoming convinced they are ugly. Others starve themselves to achieve the perfect body. The smile is another cosmetic obsession.
Pastes, creams, bleaches, putties, and many other dental products can enhance the smile, but at what cost? Some of the procedures are relatively short-lived and often painful. Dental orthodontics, while expensive offers a consistent return for the money. But is more than just cosmetics.
Dental Orthodontics and Tooth Health
Without dental orthodontics, many people would have painful conditions that could cost them more in the long run. Some people are born with mouths too small to accommodate their permanent teeth. When the baby teeth come out, those with this condition face teeth coming in on top of one another, crowding each other out and so forth. Further, if the teeth are allowed to come in without intervention, severe pain and more severe surgery is required to cut out the teeth that will not fit.
Dental orthodontics offers a surgery free solution. The solution is to make space. This is best accomplished while the patient is still growing and loosing baby teeth. Spacers are put in place to move the teeth over. A metal bar is attached that must be turned each night to move the teeth further apart.
Regular orthodontist visits allow the doctor to examine the progress that is made based on previous x-rays and pictures of the mouth. When the right amount of spacing is there, the orthodontist applies the braces. These appliances are no longer cumbersome. They are light weight and attach to the teeth with a softer touch. For the most part, the need for bands and headgear has been eliminated. Dental orthodontics has come along way in its use of technology.
Kids Can't Wait
The stigma attached to braces has lessened considerably over the years as more and more dentists have recognized the benefits of dental orthodontics. As a result, braces have become a rite of passage. It also doesn't hurt that braces can come in colors and some are even clear so that their appearance is less noticeable.
Most orthodontists offer payment plans that can accommodate almost any budget and also, more and more insurance companies are covering the cost of dental orthodontics. If you or a loved one need this service, it is now within reach. It is not simply a matter of looks. It is a matter of health.
