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Orthodontic Appliance Therapy
Sometimes it's necessary to expand your bite
before straightening your teeth.
Orthodontic appliances come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They serve different purposes, but they all come down to correcting your bite and often the alignment of your jaws. In some cases it is necessary to expand your bite before straightening your teeth. Some may need the jaw moved before straightening. Whatever it may be, orthodontic appliances play an important role in creating the bite and smile you deserve and desire.
Arch Expansion
We are all familiar with the arches in our feet, and how important it is to wear proper footwear to cushion their structures as they support the weight of our bodies. And, when there is dysfunction, we have orthotic options to assist in maintaining the correct alignment of the bones, muscles and tendons, to allow for optimal functioning.
Similarly, we have arches in our oral cavities, one each in the upper (maxillary) and lower (mandibular) jaws, setting the stage for proper placement and stability of our teeth! We are normally concerned with how straight our teeth look, and their cooperative functioning together, as being important to our overall dental health. However, when there are problems with crowded teeth or a misaligned bite, we then seek help from the category of dentistry known as “appliance therapy” and the technique of “arch expansion”.
Single Tooth Crossbite
What is the crossbite? According to the dental dictionary, it is defined as: “an abnormal relation of one or more teeth of one arch to the opposing tooth or teeth of the other arch, caused by deviation of tooth position or abnormal jaw position.” In short, one or more teeth are trapped behind the teeth of the opposing jaw.
In the field of appliance therapy, there are effective methods for correcting the crossbite using custom-fitted, removable or fixed devices, which may also include various attachments to assist in the process.
There are several kinds of crossbites (back, front and ones on just one side of the mouth) and each one relates to the simple dental, functional or skeletal areas of the mouth and jaw. By providing an appliance therapy solution for any kind of crossbite abnormality, there can be successful, permanent alignment accomplished.
Why will you want to have your crossbite examined and ultimately corrected? In addition to the visual aesthetic of well-ordered teeth, there is also the functional effect of the teeth and jaws working efficiently together. This minimizes any muscle tension, prevents pain that otherwise may develop, and can even determine the shape of your face!
After correcting your bite and/or the alignment of your jaws we can now move on to the next phase of straightening your teeth.
Straight Teeth With Invisalign
