dental disorders
Malocclusion
Treatment of Malocclusion
Dental modification Orthodontic appliances (braces or aligners) Sometimes surgery Malocclusions are corrected primarily for aesthetic and psychological reasons. However, in some cases, treatment may increase resistance to Caries (by improving ability to clean realigned teeth), to anterior Braces(metal orthodontic appliances) apply a continuous mild force to teeth to gradually remodel the surrounding alveolar bone. Extraction of one or more permanent teeth (usually a first premolar) may be needed to allow other teeth to be repositioned or to erupt into a stable alignment. After the teeth are properly aligned, the patient wears either a fixed retainer (wire bonded to the back of the teeth) or a removable retainer. Removable retainers are made from plastic-and-wire or vacuum-formed plastic and are worn 24 hours a day initially, then only at night for 2 to 3 years. Tooth alignersare a set of clear plastic appliances (similar to retainers) that are used in a specific order to gradually move teeth (up to 0.3 mm per aligner). Each aligner is worn for about 2 weeks and then changed for a new one until the misalignment is corrected. As with traditional braces, a retainer is used to keep the teeth from shifting back. When orthodontic treatment alone is insufficient, surgical correction of jaw abnormalities contributing to malocclusion (orthognathic surgery) may be indicated. 