Orthodontic Dentist and his Role with Children

An orthodontist is a dentist who specializes in the improvement and correction of malocclusions in the jaw and teeth. These professionals practice orthodontics in conjunction with dentistry to help individuals with their tooth problems. One of the most common tools that are used for the correction is dental braces. These are a set of wires and other metals along with other relevant components that are assembled to redefine the shape of the jaw and the teeth.

There are other kinds of components that are often used for these dental devices such as ceramics or plastics. In some cases of allergies, gold may be used as a metal alternative. Children are the usual patients for an orthodontist but older children and even adults can use these dental devices for the correction of their teeth or other flaws in the oral cavity.

As a child's permanent teeth start to come out, the shape of the jaw and the alignment of the teeth may be malformed due to the appearance of the bigger and tougher teeth. In some instances, overcrowding can occur which results to crooked teeth. Other malocclusions that might be present are overbites, underbites, crossbites and openbites. There are other flaws that could be present since birth as well which an orthodontic dentist can correct.

The positive response to orthodontic dentistry is dependent on each individual patient. Each person has a different rate of improvement. The more susceptible to correction the bone and the blood vessels are, the faster the change can take effect. This may be why the teeth and jaws of children are corrected faster than those of adults.

The average movement of a tooth per month is about a millimeter, which makes harder to correct malocclusions have a longer time duration. The dentist usually tightens the braces every month or depending on the rate of improvement of the jaw and teeth. There may be a time when the extreme need for surgery will be needed when basic principles do not or cannot work for the case. Cases like these do not happen often and surgery is not always a likely ending.

Many orthodontists recommend these devices for children over ten years old while there are others who might recommend them for younger children. The evaluation of the need for these is dependent on the dental professional. The dentist who practices orthodontics needs to undergo intensive training in these specialized dentistry field before he or she can practice orthodontics.