ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

Orthodontics is a specialty field of dentistry that deals primarily with malpositioned teeth and the jaws: their diagnosis, prevention and correction.

Malocclusion is defined as an abnormal deviation either aesthetically, functionally or both from the ideal occlusion; the anatomically perfect arrangement of the teeth. The prevalence of malocclusions varies with a person’s age and ethnicity but not all malocclusions require treatment.

There are multiple methods for adjusting malocclusion, depending on the needs of the individual patient. This can be done using fixed appliances or removable appliance therapy or both.

Currently, the majority of Orthodontic Appliance Therapy is delivered using fixed appliances, with the use of removable appliances being greatly reduced. The treatment outcome for fixed appliances is significantly greater than that of removable appliances as the fixed type produces biomechanics that has greater control of the teeth under treatment: being able to move the teeth in dimensions therefore the subsequent final tooth positions are more ideal.