Camarillo Orthodontist Explains Orthodontics

1. When is the best time to schedule a consultation with the orthodontist?
   The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children see an orthodontist for an evaluation no later than age seven. There are a few orthodontic problems that should be corrected at that age. If your orthodontist determines that no treatment is necessary at that time, he or she will be able to offer you guidance on when to start treatment or when to bring your child back for re-evaluation. For adults, treatment can be started at almost any age as long as the gums and bone surrounding the teeth are healthy.
   
2. Do I need braces?
   Need is a strong word. Very few people need braces. A person who has a severely protrusive jaw, who cannot chew because of his under bite needs braces (in addition to jaw surgery procedures). For most people, getting braces or orthodontic treatment is an elective treatment to straighten teeth and correct mild to moderate bite problems.
   
3. Do braces hurt?
   For the most part, braces do not hurt. The braces simply glue to your teeth. The day after you get braces, your teeth may start feeling sore and may stay sore for a few days. The soreness usually peaks during days 2-3, but should start getting better by days 4-5. Future adjustments may or may not cause you discomfort depending on what is being done to your teeth. To alleviate the discomfort, you can take whatever pain medications you would normally use for a headache.
   Because your lips, cheeks and tongue are not accustomed to rubbing against the braces, you may experience sores. The sores may last for one to two weeks until your lips, cheeks, and tongue get used contacting your braces. If there is part of the braces that is irritating your mouth, you can place orthodontic wax to help smooth the rough area of the braces. After your lips, cheeks and tongue get used to the braces, you may even forget you have them on.
   

How large of an effect does dental disease have on heart disease?

In a paper published in Journal of American Dental Association 1998 Mar;129(3):301-11 Dr Walter Loesche from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, wrote:

"Several recent studies have shown a link between dental disease and coronary heart disease. The authors studied 320 U.S. veterans in a convenience sample to assess the relationship between oral health and systemic diseases among older people. They present cross-sectional data confirming that a statistically significant association exists between a diagnosis of coronary heart disease and certain oral health parameters, such as the number of missing teeth, plaque benzoyl-DL-arginine-naphthylamide test scores, salivary levels of
Streptococcus sanguis and complaints of xerostomia. The oral parameters in these subjects were independent of and more strongly associated with coronary heart disease than were recognized risk factors, such as serum cholesterol levels, body mass index, diabetes and smoking status. However, because of the convenience sample studied, these findings cannot be generalized to other populations. To translate this article, in this study dental disease was a larger risk factor for heart disease than being overweight, having a high cholesterol level, not exercising or smoking.

2.6 million Americans became unemployed in 2008. With many of those jobs went employee benefits, including dental coverage.

A lot of people will stop visiting the dentist, when finances run low. Camarillo Orthodontist says there are simple steps you can take to keep your smile healthy, even when you are without dental coverage.

Many dentists will work with their patients, to make sure they maintain their oral health, even if they can't make it to the office. There are three things you can do to help you through tough times.

First, if you have a healthy smile you can stretch your cleanings from every 6 months, to once a year. But talk to your dentist about over the counter products that will help keep your gums healthy, and cut down on plaque between visits.

Second, you can schedule cleanings with a local dentist school or program that trains dental hygienists. They are must less expensive. The downside is that appointments generally take longer, and the student isn't as aware of your dental history.

Third, postpone elective dental procedures. That includes whitening, braces for you or your children, and even replacing mercury fillings, as long as your teeth are healthy.

However, don’t ignore major problems such as pain, swelling, infection or broken teeth. These can lead to serious health problems and should be addressed regardless of your insurance status.

There are several myths and unanswered questions about orthodontists and what they do. This article will attempt to clear any misconceptions up.

1. Orthodontists are suitable only for the most difficult and complex orthodontic cases. FALSE: Orthodontists recognize the difference between a straightforward case and a multifaceted one. And when a case is tough, orthodontists know what to do.

2. My family dentist says he can correct my teeth. FACT: However, an orthodontist has 2-3 years of dedicated training beyond dental school and is a specialist at adjusting teeth and insuring proper form and function. A dentist may see a few of cases a year amid drilling and filling. An orthodontist only practices orthodontics and treats hundreds of patients.

3. Braces are for pre-teens. FICTION: 1 out of 5 orthodontic patients is an adult.

4. If there was a big, overhead magnet and someone switched it on, people with braces would soar out of their seats and stick to the magnet. FICTION: Doubtful, because braces are made from non-magnetic materials. 5. Orthodontists charge more than general dentists for straightening treatment. FACT: However, it's not the same work. The value in seeing an orthodontist for treatment is that the orthodontist is a professional, highly experienced and understands form, function and a wonderful smile.

6. Braces are painful and take two years or more for the desired result. FICTION: After the correction stage, like breaking in a new pair of sneakers, braces are comfortable. Some may be worn for months, not years.

7. Signals from braces link to the Internet to download songs onto an iPod. FICTION: This is not possible! Not yet anyway!

8. Braces are ugly, call attention to themselves and would be embarrassing in work settings. FICTION: Today's braces may be almost invisible, made from clear plastic, or unseen, mounted on the back (lingual) side of the teeth.

9. Orthodontists have a low profile. FACT: Some may prefer to be low profile, but orthodontists give back to the community by offering free, discounted, services to patients in need.

10. Any dentist may join the American Association of Orthodontists. FICTION: Only orthodontists may become members of the American Association of Orthodontists.

Don't make the mistake of not having your teeth cleaned before you get your braces on. A couple of weeks prior to having your braces applied, you should get your teeth professionally cleaned by a good Dentist to remove any plaque on your teeth.

On the day of the procedure, you should brush and floss your teeth thoroughly. This creates a nice clean surface to work with.

Also, don't think your life is going to completely change after you get braces put on. It’s a common mistaken belief that when you get braces, you’re very limited in what you can eat.

The truth is you can eat just about anything you want to.

Of course there are a few exceptions, like apples (cut it into pieces instead of biting into it), chewing gum (dental work-friendly sugarless gum is ok), and chewy candies like caramel, gummy bears, and the lot.

The trouble with sticky foods is that they can clog up the wires that hold your braces in place and can possibly pull the brackets out of place.

This is a Guest Article. Reprinted with permission.

A child should have his/her teeth checked at about age seven, when the permanent teeth start to grow. Although adolescents (11 to 15 years of age) are most responsive to orthodontics treatment, this early examination will alert the Camarillo Orthodontist to any potential problems. Orthodontics treatment is also suitable for adults and about 25% of patients today are adults.

In general, treatment with braces in Camarillo will take approximately one to three years depending on a few factors such as the growth of the patient's face and mouth, co-operation of the patient and the severity of the problems.

For children, the best time to start depends on the type of malocclusion. Sometimes treatment is done in 2 phases in Camarillo:

Phase 1
If the child's jaws are not aligned right or too small, the orthodontist in Camarillo may start braces treatment while the jaws are growing. This is called growth modification and is usually carried out between ages to 12 and takes about 1 year. Subsequently, the Camarillo orthodontist will review the child 6-monthly or yearly to monitor the development of the permanent teeth.

Phase 2
If the child's adult or permanent teeth are not properly aligned when they erupt (usually between ages 11 to 13), they will need to be straightened and this is called Phase 2. Most children who have undergone Phase 1 braces treatment also need Phase 2.

Often bite problems may be intercepted during a child's early years from age 4 to 10. Cross-bites, severe crowding and severe protrusions are the most common bite problems that are seen in Early Phase Treatment. The focus of this type of braces treatment is usually limited to a specific area such as correcting the cross-bite or protrusion. Treatment length is usually a year or less followed by a rest phase while the remaining baby teeth are lost and the permanent teeth come in. In the majority of Early Phase Treatment there is a second phase of braces treatment with conventional braces on the upper and lower to complete the balance of the correction on the newly erupted permanent teeth.

Minh Nguyen, D.d.s.
www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/when-should-orthodontic-treatment-start-59050.html

Most orthodontic patients don't want to be treated like a number, but unfortunately many Camarillo orthodontists do just that. One of the keys to a good experience is finding an orthodontist in Camarillo that is professional and friendly. Since treatments of this type are generally long term you are going to be interacting with the same people for quite a while. You'll want to be at ease with everyone on the staff, including those working at the front desk to the technicians and the doctors. When you are having an initial conversation with an orthodontist regarding your braces, pay attention to how seriously your questions are answered and how available others in the office are, as well.

Orthodontists in Camarillo have truly progressed and now give patients a much wider array of treatment options then they used to. These days it's possible to find an orthodontist who is an expert in exactly the treatment method you want. If you are especially curious about Invisalign, you can locate an orthodontist that specializes in these clear type braces. In addition to orthodontists, the Invisalign procedure is also well practiced by cosmetic dentists.

Only when you have narrowed your choice of orthodontist or cosmetic dentists down to those that meet your needs should cost become a factor in making you final decision. There is such a wide range of pricing, it is advantageous to the patient to shop around. Maybe you are worried about being able to pay for this, so you might consider finding out about financing options. Braces are quite expensive items and the majority of patients have to pay for them on an installment plan so that they don't go broke.

Locating the right Camarillo Orthodontist for you may take some effort. When you take the time to find an office you can work with for the long haul, the reward will be of great benefit to you. Make sure that you research and find the best clinic for your situation, no matter if it is for you, or for your child that you are looking for mouth braces.

Some Dental doctors  specialize in Orthodontics which deals with the correct alignment of the teeth and  jaw. Orthodontist comes from two words, 'Ortho' meaning correct and "dont" meaning teeth.  Hence the branch of dentistry called orthodontics means correct arrangement of teeth.  Within the dental community the speciality of orthodontics has been established for well over a hundred years.

Orthodontists specialize in dento-facial orthopedics. Therefore, an orthodontist not only specializes in straightening teeth, but also in aligning the jaw. Appearances can be deceiving, and a person's teeth may look aligned while their upper and lower jaws are not. Any irregularity  in jaw alignment can result in injury to your teeth and gums.

An orthodontist is fully trained in dentistry first. After graduating from dental school one has to study for additional 2-3 years for specialization in orthodontics. In other words all orthodontists have dental training, but we cannot say that the reverse in true. Fewer than 6% of dentists are orthodontists. Although a dentist can do orthodontic work, he can not claim to be an orthodontic specialist. For a list of qualified certified orthodontists in Camarillo, you can visit the American Association of Orthodontists website.

Man's attempts to change his smile by using braces goes back thousands of years. Archaeologists have discovered mummies that had teeth that were "wired" for better alignment. Back around 400 BC, Hippocrates wrote about efforts to straighten teeth. It's clear that knowledge of using pressure to move teeth into a better alignment over a period of time, was present in ancient history.

In 1850 the first modern attempt to correct the arrangement of teeth using added oral force was made. The dentist at the head of the movement was Dr. Norman Kingsley, who would go on to serve as the first dean of the New York University College for Dentistry. Back in those days, people didn’t pay any attention to the bite, and it was rare to find people who had a complete set of healthy teeth.

It was in the later part of the 19th century, that Dr Edward Angle published his work, Angle's Classification of Malocclusion. It was a ground-breaking publication for its time. He discussed the method of creating a correct occlusion in the teeth, and also introduced a concept of a natural occlusion in the teeth. In his work, he developed three classes of malocclusion. Class I malocclusion which has an improper occlusal line, Class II malocclusion or overbite, and Class III malocclusion or under bite. Dr. Edward Angle along with some of his colleagues in the field of dentistry, established the American Association of Orthodontists.

With the publication of Angle's pioneering work, orthodontics as a field of dental specialty, began to take form. It was still a far cry from the orthodontic specialization we know today, but the focus had begun to shift from mere straightening of the teeth appearance sake, to actually looking into the types of malocclusion, and the precise ways to correct them.

As the century progressed, interest grew in the part that removing teeth could play in orthodontics. In the 1930’s, dentists began to experiment with enhancing the proportions of the face through tooth extraction, making for a more secure alignment of the teeth.

Ten years later, dentists began to develop radio-graphs that allowed them to see how the development of bone in the jaw, and other areas of the mouth could influence alignment. This led to the knowledge that by redirecting the growth of bone, changes to the alignment could be made to prevent malocclusion.

In the sixties, orthodontia research began to chart uncovered territory, as it explored the role of surgery in correcting occlusion in people whose bone wasn't able to develop any further.

Modern Camarillo orthodontists have made significant advancements since those early days. Today, not only does it correct the alignment of the teeth for a more cosmetically pleasing experience, but it can also create a firm occlusal relationship.