Miss Lila had a beautiful smile. She visited her dentist regularly for dental check-ups and made sure she had no cavities. She brushed twice a day, flossed every day, and got her cleaning done every six months. However, there was something wrong.
Recently, she had been noticing certain spaces opening up between her teeth and a persistent sensitivity in her front teeth. Her dentist had told her that these were regular occurrences and prescribed something for her sensitive teeth. Six months forward, with all these symptoms worsening and a constant dull ache in the jaws, she decided to go for a second opinion.
The dentist did a quick intraoral scan of her teeth and showed her the reasons for her problems. They figured out the root cause. It was her bite. The bite was improperly balanced due to a few offending teeth that were not in their ideal position.
Poorly aligned teeth can result in:
-Poor gum health
-An increased risk of decay
-Trauma from an improper bite, which in turn can cause sensitivity due to the increased wear of enamel
-Decreased success of fillings, crowns and other dental restorations
-Dull aches which become more severe at the jaw joints, and head and neck region
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Most often, alignment of the teeth is deemed as a cosmetic procedure and those seeking to align their teeth do it for a better smile and to straighten crooked teeth, but there is much more to it than what meets the eye.
An ideal bite that is corrected results in:
-Aligned teeth
-Decreased risk of gum disease and decay
-Even wear and a balanced bite
-Bite stability reduction of wear of the jaw joints (TMJ)
-Reduction of future dental work
-Improved confidence
Here are the two most common methods of aligning teeth.
Wire and brackets, aka 'Braces':
This is the more traditional way of straightening your teeth. It is a fixed therapy that involves monthly visits to your orthodontist.
They have advantages such as having fixed appointments, which leads to better patient compliance, complex movements are done more easily and also traditional methods are more budget-friendly due to lower initial costs.
Clear aligner therapy:
This method offers an aesthetic alternative to traditional metal braces. They provide advantages of being transparent and discreet, so nearly invisible, custom-made from BPA-free plastics that are snugly fit on your teeth, hence more comfortable. Oral hygiene maintenance is easier as they are removable, with no food restrictions, a reduction in treatment time as movement is more precise and accurate than with the traditional braces and flexibility in terms of dental visits.
Your dentist will be able to advise you as to the options that would best suit your dental needs.
Well, our Miss Lila began her clear aligner therapy as it was best suited for her lifestyle. In 6 months, her bite was adjusted. Further, she got some new aesthetic ceramic veneers to replace her worn-down teeth. Her teeth were now not just looking good but fully functional. The smile on her face was now not made up; it came from a place of knowing her dental health was in good hands.
Shina Kurian and Jonathan Rao are dentists based in Bengaluru, with a love for preventive & comprehensive dentistry.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.