If you have malpositioned teeth, you must see a specialist as soon as possible. After looking at your teeth and jaw, they will develop a treatment plan to straighten your teeth and alleviate any problems you may be experiencing.
Of course, this doesn’t stop you from being interested in the potential solutions now. Therefore, you’ll find everything you need in this short guide.
What are Malpositioned Teeth?
Rather than one single problem, the phrase ‘malpositioned teeth’ covers any misalignment of the teeth or jaw. For some, this means crowded teeth. For others, it means an overbite, crossbite, open bite, or underbite. Essentially, it describes any case where the teeth aren’t in the correct position.
Meanwhile, others have twisted teeth, rotated teeth, and other dental problems. Ultimately, it can mean discomfort for the owner, difficulties with chewing, long-term pain, and low self-esteem.
When it comes to the jaw, there are actually many causes of problems. While some people have cleft palates or lips, others would suck their thumb as a child or be given a bottle for too long in childhood. Alternatively, it could be an injury, a tumour, or the shape of the teeth, causing issues for the jaw.
In severe cases, it affects speech, and some start breathing through their mouth rather than their nose.
Common Solutions
You’ve seen the problems, but how do dental professionals fix these issues? Well, in some cases, your dentist may decide that intervention is unnecessary. Typically, this is in mild cases. If they think that you’ll benefit from treatment, you’ll get an appointment with an orthodontist. Along with the usual care, a good clinic should be able to provide dental rehabilitation, teeth straightening, teeth implants, root canal therapy, and tooth whitening.
From here, the treatment you receive depends on the malposition problem in question. However, one of the most common treatments is a brace. Although this is generally used in childhood, it’s now common for adults to also have braces fitted. Generally speaking, this is used where overcrowding and tooth positioning are problems.
Elsewhere, the orthodontist might decide that it’s best to remove teeth to fix overcrowding or install retainers (or another dental appliance) to realign your teeth.
What about severe cases? Well, this is where more serious intervention comes in, such as bonding, reshaping, or capping. Typically, it’s harder to fix a jaw problem than one in the teeth. Many Australians are forced to undergo surgery every year, but ask Bondi Junction’s best orthodontist, and even he will say that this is seen as a last resort.
Sometimes referred to as orthognathic surgery, the idea is to realign the jaw and fix any irregularities. First, specialists will try orthodontics. If these don’t work, they may resort to surgery for an instant improvement. When done correctly, it improves biting and chewing, corrects speech and swallowing problems, and fixes the individual’s bite.
Thankfully, the solutions in this area have improved over the years. In fact, some patients are eligible for invisible braces and other advanced dental treatments.
Smile There Is A Solution
As you can see, there are many problems under the malpositioned teeth umbrella, and therefore many different solutions to fix them. Over the years, the brace has evolved to become the favourite for fixing many teeth and jaw issues.
While some patients have teeth removed before the braces, others are ready for them immediately. Either way, the idea is to pull the teeth in different directions to realign them in the mouth. This should fix overcrowding, wonky teeth, and other misalignment problems.
If you suffer from the side effects of malpositioned teeth, speak to your dentist today. You never know; the next appointment with an orthodontist might just change your life!