The Benefit of Orthodontics

What are the benefits of orthodontic treatment?

Orthodontics has a wide range of benefits which can have a positive impact on your life.  This includes:

• Correction of crowding and straightening of your teeth
• Improve function (eg. eating and cleaning).
• Reduce chances of trauma if your teeth are sticking out (overjet)
• Reduce trauma of the soft tissues by reducing the overbite
• Enhance self-esteem and improve confidence

Remember, braces aren’t JUST for children!  Adult orthodontics has become extremely popular.  Adults want to have treatment because they’ve never had braces OR they had braces but feel their teeth have moved and want braces for a second time.

If you are considering braces but concerned about the appearance because of your lifestyle or career, then there are alternative options which are discreet such as clear brackets, clear aligners or lingual braces.  Please see my treatments section for further information the options I currently offer.

Do braces fix overbites?

Braces are an excellent solution to correct overbites.  There are multiple ways to help with this eg. thicker wires for your braces, the use of elastics or a removable appliance.

It is important to remember if you are an adult it will take longer to reduce your overbite!

How long do overbites take to correct?

Overbites can take 3 to 4 months to correct.  The deeper the overbite the longer it will take.  As mentioned above, there are a variety of ways to assist the orthodontist.

What is a normal overjet?

On average a normal overjet is between 2-4mm.  An orthodontist will measure your overjet to see if it falls within the normal ranges.  If not, one of my aims of treatment will be to normalise your overjet to the average values.

What causes an overjet?

An overjet can be caused by:

• Skeletal – if the lower jaw is underdeveloped, the lower teeth will sit further back from the top teeth causing an increased overjet
• Dental – There can be crowding resulting in the top teeth protruding resulting in an increased overjet.
• soft tissues – If the top teeth are protruding, they will be out of control of the lower lip. The activity of the lower lip will continue to maintain the position of the upper teeth and prevent them from normalising
• Habit – if you suck your thumb, the pressure will cause the upper incisors to procline and lower lower incisors to tip inwards. This net effect will increase the overjet.

How is an overjet treated?

An overjet can be treated in multiple ways such as:

Headgear: An option which I rarely use but mentioned for completeness.  It is a removable appliance which should be worn between 12-14 hours a day.

Growth modification with a Twin Block: If a patient is in their growth spurt, a removable appliance called a twin block can be used (please see my treatments page for further information)

Orthodontic Camouflage: If there is an underlying jaw discrepancy, then the teeth can be moved with braces in a way to mask this.  Where there is an increased overjet, extraction of teeth may be needed to retract the upper teeth back.

Orthognathic (Jaw) Surgery: If a patient is an adult and past their growth spurt OR the jaw discrepancy is so severe where camouflage is not possible the jaw surgery is an option to reduce the overjet (Please see my treatment page for further information)

Please visit https://www.bos.org.uk/Your-Jaw-Surgery for further information on this.