Orthodontics
for Teenagers
Braces
are most commonly placed between the ages of 12 and 15. Also
known as fixed orthodontic appliances, braces are usually worn
for 24 months and in that time can correct most dental malocclusions.
Adolescents are in the unique position of having all their permanent
teeth and a still-growing jaw, making them the ideal candidates
for orthodontic treatment.
How
does orthodontics work?
You
usually think about your jaw as being solid like a rock, but
when you are growing your jaw is really more like clay. If you
apply pressure to your jaw, you can get your jaw to stretch.
If you pull your jaw apart, your jaw will get wider. If you
push your jaw back, your jaw will slowly move back. Your jaw
does not actually stretch. Instead, when you pull on your jaw,
your jaw grows in the direction you are pulling. Still, the
important thing is that when your braces pull on your jaw, the
braces change the shape of your jaw.
In
the same way, if you push on your teeth, your teeth will move
around in your mouth.
The
orthodontic practioner pushes your jaw to stretch your mouth
so all your teeth fit. He then pushes on your teeth so they
are all in the proper places. If your top jaw is too small,
your orthodontist can install a special gadget called a "palatal
expander" to get your jaw to grow wider. If your teeth
stick out, your orthodontic practioner can install another gadget
called a "facebow" to push your back teeth back. In
that way, your orthodontist is able to move around individual
teeth and expand your jaw so that all of your teeth fit correctly
in your mouth.
Why
should I get Braces?
It
is hard to believe when you are going through it, but braces
will improve your smile and make you look excellent.
Your smile is the most striking part of your face. Look in the
mirror. Do you like your smile now. Well, the orthodontic practioner
will make your smile look fabulous. You will end up looking
great. Think about how looking great will improve your social
life.
Braces
Improve Your Health
You
will be able to chew your food better.
Chewing
is the first step in digestion. If your teeth are not straight,
you will not be able to chew your food correctly so partially
unchewed food will go down to your stomach. That can give you
an upset stomach.
You
will avoid dental problems.
If
you do not get orthodontic treatment when you need it you will
have problems with your teeth for years to come; your teeth
will be hard to clean. Your gums will hurt. Your teeth will
wear in ways that the should not. The effects are significant
enough that many adults are now going back to the orthodontist
for braces.
You
may avoid developing a breathing problem.
As
you get older the roof your mouth can sometimes partially block
the air passages in your nose. That makes you snore loudly,
and may contribute to a condition called "sleep apnea".
If you get braces you can avoid this possibility.
Why
do people need braces, and why didn't evolution/natural selection
eliminate the need for braces?
Good
Question! Orthodontic problems are built into your genes.
Back,
10,000 years ago, in the days of the cave men people had nearly
perfect bites. No one needed braces. But then adult cave men
were only four feet tall. Teenagers were two or three feet (0.7
to 1 meter) tall.
In
the last 10,000 years, people got bigger. People's mouths got
a little bigger but people's teeth got A LOT BIGGER. The result
is that most peoples teeth no longer fit correctly in most people's
mouths. Your orthodontist moves around your teeth and possibly
stretches your mouth so everything fits correctly.
Look
how big your front teeth are now. Would those teeth fit if you
were only two or three (70 cm to 1 M) feet tall?
Are there other reasons that people
need braces.
Hmm.
We do not know. It has been said that if babies use a pacifier
(dummy) for too long, they can develop an incorrect bite. Orthodontic
problems can also be caused by injuries to your mouth, or if
you suck you thumb when you are older than two. Some orthodontists
also say that fingernail biting, or lip biting can also cause
orthodontic problems.
There is also some information about breastfeeding increasing
orthodontic problems if the breastfeeding is stopped suddenly.
Still, most people need braces because their teeth grow faster
than their mouth. That is a natural part of growing up, and
there is nothing you can do about it.
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