It may be time to consider corrective braces if you live with a misaligned jaw. Jaw misalignments can be a daily stressor for anyone and can interfere with your sleep before leading to other problems. This concern is in addition to chronic headaches or migraines, abnormal tooth wear, vertigo, and tinnitus commonly resulting from a misaligned jaw.
A misaligned jaw will likely cause your teeth to position abnormally when the jaws are closed. This can result in an overbite, underbite, crossbite, or even teeth crowding. This is called malocclusion, which can make people feel self-conscious, leading them to want to correct the problem for cosmetic reasons, health concerns, and desire to keep their teeth for years to come. The good news is that your orthodontist can offer a few options to fix a misaligned jaw.
Many patients can benefit from aligners or braces if misaligned teeth are the cause of their misaligned jaw. This is great news for people of all ages who previously thought it was too late for braces or aligners to work effectively. Fortunately, they will work at almost any age.
Though clear aligners are more popular, traditional braces are still very effective at straightening teeth and realigning the jaw. Traditional metal brackets are commonly referred to as corrective braces. They improve the alignment of a patient’s teeth by gradually repositioning them into their proper positions. They use metal brackets bonded to the front of teeth and strong wires that run between them and attach to the back molars.
They work by applying pressure on the outside of the teeth with rubber bands and springs attached to each bracket. The tension from these bands moves the patient’s teeth into proper positions over time.
Ceramic braces may be worth considering, but they are not for everyone. They offer the benefit of being less visible than traditional brackets, but they are not always recommended for lower teeth. In addition, while ceramic braces are less noticeable, they are also slightly larger than metal braces but not quite as strong.
Patients may wish to consider self-ligating braces as they are a stronger option than ceramic braces because of their unique benefits. One such benefit is that they use a specialized clip instead of elastics. The specialized clip means that patients will need fewer adjustments and may also find they offer a more comfortable experience.
The headgear brace consists of two parts: the headgear itself and a wire called an archwire or bow tie. The archwire is placed inside the patient’s mouth and secured with brackets attached to the patient’s teeth with small metal wires called ligatures.
The idea behind headgear braces is that they will pull the lower jaw forward and down into place. The lower jaw has a bone called the mandible that connects it to the rest of the skull and makes it move up and down when the patient opens and closes their mouth. When a patient wears a headgear brace, two elastic bands are attached to either side of the face and connected to small metal hooks in the front. These hooks pull on the elastic bands, which pull on the lower jawbone, making it move forward until it is aligned properly with the upper jawbone (which has already been straightened out by other means).
It is worth noting that orthodontists reserve headgear braces for the most severe malocclusion cases, and they can take up to two years for successful correction.
Clear aligners are an almost invisible option made with 3D imaging, allowing patients a custom fit that will slide over their teeth like a perfect tailor-made glove. Patients also do not need to wear their clear aligners constantly, which can be a problem if they are not responsible enough to use them.
The biggest problem with clear aligners is that they may move slower or faster than anticipated, and patients may develop gum disease or cavities during treatment. In the long run, it is much safer to have an orthodontist treat patients with corrective braces because they can see how the braces affect their teeth and make adjustments to them, ensuring they progress without harmful consequences.
We hope you have found this article helpful. Remember, while clear aligners have become the more popular treatment option due to their aesthetic quality, traditional corrective braces are still very effective at straightening teeth and realigning the jaw. Talking with an orthodontist about treatment options is important to find the most effective one for you.
To schedule an appointment or learn more information about corrective braces, visit us at https://fitsmilesortho.com or call the FitSmiles Orthodontics Tustin office at (714) 782-0217.
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