What Dental Issues Can An Orthodontist Treat?

There are many things that you can see an orthodontist for if you have a dental problem. Orthodontics is a specialty field within dentistry that addresses conditions affecting bite issues, teeth or jaw alignment. If you have the following dental issues, an orthodontist will be able to treat your condition and improve your oral health.

Misalignment 

Many people have issues that cause their jaws to become misaligned, where the upper and lower jaw do not connect at the right place. This can lead to more serious issues like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), which can cause symptoms like clicking, pain, and trouble chewing food. Up to 12% of people have some sort of TMJ disorder. An orthodontist needs to treat misaligned teeth early before they develop into more serious conditions. Some of the ways that an orthodontist can treat misalignment include braces, straighteners and in more severe cases, surgery.

Spacing Issues

Some people have gaps between their teeth, or have teeth that are not spaced out properly. When teeth are not spaced correctly, the enamel can be more vulnerable to erosion. Spacing problems can cause food to get stuck in between the teeth, resulting in tooth decay, cavities and gum disease, such as a too-large gap between teeth. For many people, spacing issues affecting teeth are an aesthetic issue, impacting their confidence about their smile. An orthodontist may recommend braces to reposition teeth in the right area so that they are equally spaced out.

Overcrowding 

Another common issue that many patients have is overcrowding. When teeth are overcrowded, they can take up too much space in the mouth. The teeth can overlap and twist, which can cause a lot of pain. One tooth could be growing on top of another tooth. This can make it difficult to eat, drink and swallow. To correct overcrowded teeth, an orthodontist may have to remove excess teeth or re-align them with braces or other devices.

Bite Issues 

Overbites and underbites are a common problem. An overbite is when the upper front teeth protrude further out than the lower teeth, while an underbite is the opposite condition. People who have bite problems usually have a hard time chewing or swallowing food. It is also commonly a cosmetic issue, because it can make people feel self-conscious about the look of their teeth. As a skilled Laguna Niguel orthodontist like one at John Redmond Orthodontics can tell you, bite issues can be fixed with plastic or metal braces.

Getting regular oral care is essential for not only your teeth, but your overall health. In addition to tooth decay, having dental issues can negatively affect your self-esteem and confidence. An orthodontist can correct a variety of dental problems that you have which specifically affect your jaw and bite. If you have any kind of issue that you are concerned about, see an orthodontist so that it can be treated right away. Request a consultation with a trusted and qualified orthodontist so that they can evaluate your teeth and see what treatments you should receive.