Having crooked teeth or a mouth that is overcrowded with teeth can cause a patient to feel too embarrassed to smile. Everybody is different and therefore the severity of the condition differs from patient to patient. The practice of diagnosing, preventing, managing and correcting dental and jaw misalignment is referred to as orthodontics. Correcting dental misalignment allows you to chew your food properly while at the same time enhancing the appearance of your teeth. Modern technology has become so advanced that certain cases that would normally be treated by an orthodontist Liverpool can be treated by an experienced team of dentists.
Types of appliances
Over the past decades dental misalignment treatment has been evolving and where once a metal brace was the only really efficient dental appliance, there are now a variety of appliances, made from different materials. The original metal brace is still being used but has undergone a radical change, resulting in a more subtle and comfortable dental device. Braces usually work by having blocks placed on the front of your teeth and then a system of wires and bands are used to increase the tension to move your teeth slowly to an aligned position. The materials used now allow for different colours to be displayed. A more flamboyant patient may want their brace to be red and white striped. A conservative patient may want their brace to be the same colour as their teeth or even clear. It is the patient’s choice to have whatever they prefer. Some braces will automatically adjust the tension and will require less dentist intervention. There is a brace which fits onto the inside of your teeth and makes it invisible. Another system was introduced in the mid nineteen-nineties which fits over the teeth in the same manner as a gum shield. These dental appliances are referred to as aligners and the individual appliance is called a tray. These trays are made from a clear thermoplastic which makes them inconspicuous and they can be removed easily by the patient for eating and cleaning of their teeth. This makes them very popular especially with teenage and adult patients.
Efficiency through digitisation
An advantage of the dental aligners is that everything is done digitally which eliminates the need for dental putty. Using 3D scanners and computer algorithms, the trays are created to perfectly perform the function of straightening your teeth. Communication and record keeping is efficient and quick, and any adjustments can be dealt with rapidly. Another feature is that the computer software can create a virtual 3D image of your smile from the thousands of images taken by the 3D scanner. This can be viewed before the treatment starts so that you can see what your smile will look like after treatment.
Restoring your smile
Dental misalignment can cause bacteria to form in little pockets between your teeth that are difficult to get to with a toothbrush. This bacteria can cause tooth decay and bad breath. In this day and age with all the dental science and technology advances there is no need to suffer with dental misalignment.
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