DENTAL SERVICES
ORTHODONTICS
ORTHODONTICS
Orthodontics is a dental treatment that helps straighten teeth that are positioned incorrectly. De Necker Dentistry will make use of x-rays and other dental tools to establish whether you need orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontic treatment plays a vital role in improving overall oral health and leads to a life-time of healthy and attractive smiles.
Orthodontics do more than just straighten crooked teeth, they also correct irregularities of the bite and facial structures in the mouth and jaw area. The goal in orthodontic dental treatment is to achieve balance and harmony between the teeth and face resulting in a beautiful smile.
Major orthodontic problems can be present behind acceptable smiles but if left untreated, it can severely jeopardise the health of teeth, gums and the jaw.
An orthodontic treatment makes use of a range of medical dental devices namely headgears, plates, braces, etc. This is to achieve the following result:
Straightening skew teeth
To close gaps between teeth
Correct crowding of teeth
Correcting the jaw / bite (e.g. over bite, under bite, misplaced midline etc.)
Improving general health of gums and teeth
-
Who needs orthodontic treatment?
Everyone wants a beautiful smile and orthodontic treatment is the correct procedure to follow to get that perfect smile. An attractive smile enhances self-esteem and builds confidence.
There are different ways of doing orthodontics including:
Removable orthodontic appliances
Traditional fixed orthodontics
Clear removable aligners called SmileTru or Invisalign
-
Removable orthodontic appliances:
This type of orthodontic appliance is used to treat minor problems such as correcting skew teeth or to prevent thumb sucking. The appliance should only be removed when the patient is eating, flossing or cleaning the appliance.
-
Traditional fixed orthodontics:
This is most commonly used in orthodontics. Examples of fixed orthodontics are braces, fixed space maintainers and special fixed appliances. The patient should avoid eating certain hard foods such as toffee, biltong etc. and will need to visit the dentist once a month to adjust the braces.
-
Clear removable aligners called SmileTru:
SmileTru is a series of transparent positioners which is offered to patients as an alternative to fixed braces. Each positioner is designed to fit over the teeth and guide them into a desired position.