Orthodontic Treatment , Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry which analyzes and diagnoses discrepancies and how the position of teeth in jaws be formed , tries to prevent these disorders before they occur and treats after formation of such disorders. There are risks of loss of teeth at an early age because of tooth decay and having gum disease due to difficulty of cleaning obscure and malpositioned teeth. Besides such teeth can cause temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) disorders and may cause pain in the jaw joint and the head as a result of more pressure in the jaw muscles. At the same, teeth discrepancies adversely affect the aesthetic appearance of a person so this situation is reflected in social life and psychological status of the person in a negative way. With orthodontic treatment you can have a healthier mouth, a more impressive look and teeth that stay in your mouth for longer time. Orthodontic treatment, generally done by constant wires or removable appliances.

As in all disciplines of medicine, the basic principle of orthodontics is preventing emergence of disorders. All of the measures taken for this purpose is called as preventive orthodontics. The main preventive orthodontic treatment is to prevent tooth decay. Deciduous teeth are very important becasue they were employed as a placeholder for permanent teeth will come after them. Not to have decayed deciduous teeth, these teeth must be protected from their eruption.

Suspensive orthodontic treatment based on stopping problem by removal of agent that causes the emerging disorder. Eliminating factors, such as finger sucking, mouth breathing, are examples of this type of treatment.

Correcting orthodontic disorders that have emerged by removable appliances or braces is corrective orthodontics. All orthodontic treatments engage in this classification.

Dentist, who specializes in treatment of orthodontic problems such as crowding and discrepancies , is called as orthodontist. Someone, who have graduated from the four-year doctoral program or specialization program after 5 years of dental education in universities, deserves this title.

1- The malposition in your teeth or discrepancies.
2- If there is an apparent forward, backward, skew or mismatch with the other parts of the face on lower or upper jaw.
3- If you have a situation that you feel uncomfortable when you smile, for example gums seems excessively or dark areas occurs around edges of mouth.
4- If you are having biting and chewing problems because of relationships between jaw and tooth
5- If you have mouth breathing, suck finger and eat nail as habit or if you had in past such long-term bad habits.
6- If you have difficulty to close your mouth or your lips are not enough to ensure closing.
7- If sound comes from the jaw joints, If you feel pain in the jaw muscles or live jaw deadlocks, if lower jaw stays as if locked up inside the upper jaw.
8- If you were born with cleft lip and palate or a similar syndrome.
9- If there are individuals in your family who lived orthodontic problems or who have lost their teeth at an early age.
10- If you have at least one missing tooth and the other teeth in your mouth has started to shift towards the region.
11- If you can not clear your teeth due to crowding and if you have gum problems because of this.
12- If you have wide diastemas between your teeth.
13- If your dentist is having a difficulty arising from position of your teeth when he is overlaying or filling on the tooth.
14- If decidious tooth extraction is performed early.
15- If you are swallowing and speaking by inserting your tongue into your anterior teeth, if upper and lower incisors do not touch each other when biting.
All these things are indication of you can be a candidate for orthodontic treatment.

1. Oral breathing:
Habit of mouth breathing among children, as a result of often repeated upper respiratory tract infections, nasal obstruction and allergies is an orthodontic problem. Under normal circumstances, we use our nose for breathing. Continuously mouth breathing from childhood causes changing of head posture and deterioration of skeletal development. It can lead to skeletal and dental problems such as contraction of the upper jaw in long-term and lower jaw's staying backward . For the prevention of these problems we should take 4 years of age children to an ENT specialist and if required we should start their treatments.

2. Finger suction:
A newborn baby has a highly developed mechanism of absorption. A baby sucking instinct is not satisfied, it acquires some ways to eliminate the need. This does not often seen among breast-fed children for 9-18 months. Studies has proved that finger sucking is improved in the first few weeks of life due to hunger. Pain, arising from local discomfort at the beginning of teeth eruption, can be solved by means of finger sucking so this habit can be considered to be helpful for eruption. Finger sucking gets decreased with age. Children, who has this habit, can live displacements in the upper and lower teeth and discrepancies according to sucked finger, number of fingers and domain of suction.

3. Pacifiers:
A pacifier which has physiological properties is not harmful to be sucked as much as 2 years of age. Even it is beneficial in terms of preventing a child to acquire a bad habit such as finger sucking. When pacifiers are used continuously, they apply a long-term effect on tissues in the domain of suction. This causes disorders in such areas in mouth and teeth

4. Lying mode:
Lying mode, usually determines the position of the lower jaw. This gives a signal us that in which position lower jaw is located for 8 hours per day averagely . For example, position of the lower jaw is different between a child lying face down and a child supine.

5. Bad habits such as teeth clenching, nail biting, pencil biting, lip biting.:
Parmak emme, emzik ve biberon emme gibi alışkanlıklar dişlerde aralanmalara, çapraşıklıklara ve çenelerde düzensizliklere yol açabilirler. Biberon, en geç 3 yaşlarında bırakılmış olmalıdır. Bu yaşta oluşmuş olan ortodontik sorunlar, alışkanlıkların bırakılmasının ardından belli oranda düzelebilirler. Kendi kendine düzelmeyen sorunların tedavisi için, bir ortodonti uzmanının müdahalesi gerekli olabilir.

6. Tooth crowding due to gum problems:

7. Early loss of deciduous teeth:
Decidious teeth not only temporarily fulfill the function of mastication but also serve as an outline of the growth of the skeletal system and constitute a guide for permanent teeth. In this sense, we should protect deciduous teeth since their eruption, brush and keep in mouth till their loss in their natural processes. The development of the jaw bones negatively affected, too as a result of late loss of teeth. For this reason, the permanent teeth may lead a delayed eruption and irregularities. If deciduous teeth are lost early or extracted due to decay etc., for the protection of sites of lost teeth, placeholders should be used. Deciduous teeth decay, often not taken into account. Families suppose that these teeth are temporary and will not be any problems if they are extracted. Yet, deciduous teeth functions as a framework for developing bone structure, also serve as a placeholder for future permanent teeth that will erupt. In addition, they have tasks of speaking and the feeding of the child.

8. Discrepancies of anterior teeth due to irregularities of third molars .

9. Irregularities that occur due to loss of teeth

10. Hormonal disorders, systemic diseases

11. Genetic factors:
Especially in individuals who has skeletal disorders, it is important that if there is a similar anomaly in ancestry. Hereditary deficiencies of teeth, the upper and lower jaws deformations, crowding problems can be transmitted to the child in hereditary.

12. Nutritional disorders:
Children who are undernourished can face with volumetric shrinkage in their jaw and facial structure. For this reason, problems such as crowding and malpositions even teeth remain impacted in jaw can be lived due to normal volume teeth can not find the necessary place in small jaws.

Orthodontic treatment, that is not just an aesthetic process, improves teeth closure and hence makes their cleaning easier. Because of tooth brushing and use of dental floss are comfortable with smooth teeth, oral hygiene is provided properly. This also reduce the risk of infections such as gingivitis (gum inflammation) that is caused by bacteria where teeth and gums combined. In some patients, upper anterior teeth excessively stay forward and in this way causes discrepancies. These teeth can be easily affected by impacts that may come from outside and positions of the teeth can be changed by orthodontic treatment. In addition, people who have this problem has more inefficient mastication. In severe cases, even difficulties of shredding food may occur. Correction of these errors makes chewing and swallowing foods easier. Prevents the emergence of problems in the digestive system. Upper and lower jaw can lead to discrepancies of by not closing properly. Even these discrepancies may affect the speech. When teeth are not bited properly, excessive pressure is applied to the jaw muscles and even jaw and joint problems can be seen. Openbite observed in the incisors may lead to abrasion of the chewing surfaces of the posterior teeth as a result of posterior teeth are more exposed to the forces of chewing.

No matter what age, untreated orthodontic problems gets worse. As time passed, tooth decay and gum diseases as a result of teeth are not being cleaned properly due to crowding, can lead to tooth loss. Biting deficiencies can lead to wear chewing surfaces of the teeth, difficulties in chewing and speech, damage of supporting bone and gum tissues. Biting deficiencies are enough to cause jaw joint discomfort and therefore the head, back and shoulder pain may become severe. Teeth, which are not ordered correctly, creates an aestheticly undesirable appearance in patients so they may also cause social insecurity and psychological problems .

Age is not a problem for dental adjustments. No matter how old the patient can be treated. If there is an irregularity in the individual's bone structure (skeletal disorders), age is important. In this case, there is need for the functional treatment, this treatment must be made between the age of puberty. Especially in children, after the clinical and radiographic examinations the appropriate timing for treatment is determined by the orthodontist. For disorders related to bone structure is important to start treatment at an early age as much as possible . For example, during growing period upper jaw is corrected by the dental arch expansion appliances. In this way, occurrence of possible big problems will be eliminated. Most people wait for eruption of all permanent teeth to go to an orthodontist but sometimes they may be late. Permanent skeletal disorders in adults may create need for orthognathic surgery applications.

Yes…br/> Having orthodontic treatment at an adult age is possible, if this treatment could not applied during childhood. With emerging dental health awareness, adults are also having orthodontic treatment with increasing numbers day by day. In fact, orthodontic treatments can be done to the teeth almost in every age, the only important thing in this field is having healthy teeth and healthy tissues surrounding the teeth. Patient's age affects only duration of movement and treatment.

Brushing Teeth

Soft-tipped tooth brush should be used. Soft-tipped tooth brushes reach interfaces more easily than medium and hard-tipped tooth brushes also does not disturb the gums. Some brands produce toothbrushes especially for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment .Such brushes are known as double-level. They have longer bristles on edges and shorter bristles in middle . In addition, use of medium hardness is recommended to avoid damage to wires on teeth. After eating each meal you should brush your teeth . The teeth should be brushed at least 2-3 minutes each time. Brushing inner and outer surfaces of the teeth and braces also chewing areas is important .

Dental Floss

While visibly not possible to use dental floss around orthodontic wires, it is required to be made. When wires first applied, dental floss usage techniques can be shown by your dentist. If you are not sure that you do right, consult your dentist .

Fluoride Toothpaste And Mouth Water

While brand is not important but usage of fluoride toothpaste is recommended. You can use mouth water, sold in markets, for more fluoride. These mouthwashes contain fluoride as much as strengthen and protect the teeth during orthodontic treatment. If it is necessary, during the regular visits to the dentist fluoride gel treatment can also be applied by the orthodontist.

Helpful Tools

Interface Brushes
OOral Irrigators
Antibacterial mouthwashes