subject: Orthodontics For Adults More Delicate Than For Children [print this page] The jaws drawn together tightly and the crushing of teeth. These indicate that the times are testing our patience. Men and women may release tension through potentially harmful mouth movements because of the stressful situations they constantly find themselves in.
Grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaws during sleep, otherwise known as bruxism, is a common condition for adults who want to release tension. Side effects such as ear pain, headaches, and vertigo may result from the neuromuscular problem known as the clicking of jaws.
Studies of bruxism reveal that women in the over 40 age bracket are more prone to it than men by about four to one. It looks like it's more common for men to release tension through the stomach while more women release tension through the mouth.
The surest cure is to deal with the frustrations causing the tension since the problem can't be solved by orthodontics, although to prevent damage to the teeth, one can use a plastic retainer or a jaw strap.
Bruxism is just one of other problems in the dental world that orthodontists are just realizing. The past years has seen orthodontists focusing not only on the straightening of teeth for the purpose of cosmetics.
There is an emergence of techniques and theories that deal with the whole structure of the face and not just the teeth.
Many adults may actually require the services of orthodontists, even if the orthodontics is perceived to mainly cater to adolescents. One dentist points out that orthodontists have to be particularly careful when treating adults. Children's tissues bounce back readily, but adult's teeth don't.
He points out that advances have been made in combining orthodontics and plastic surgery to reconstruct severe deformities resulting from such things as protruding jaws, cleft lips and palate. Every year, about two thirds of cases that orthodontists handle for treatment have something to do with the growth of the jaw.
The place of the jaw often dictates the place of the teeth. Placing the jaw at the right place would most likely lead the teeth also to the place they're supposed to be. Proper jaw growth may be aided through restructuring through surgery or through the use of corrective appliances.
People may or may not choose to have orthodontics done, but they should know that it can also be preventive. The thumb sucking child can develop an improper tongue thrust which may result in deviant swallowing as well as speech impediment. Shifts in the position of teeth may be due to the power of the tongue.
Since chinstraps exert upward and downward forces on the lower jaw when worn, they are used to correct malocclusion or abnormal bite. A bad bite could mean that the person could eventually lose his teeth or develop bone damage.
The direct bonding of plastic with metal for braces and the improvement of materials have improved the cosmetic aspect of dental devices. Having plastic in the mouth usually looks better than have metal in the mouth, although the former does not work as well as the latter.
Now being utilized more frequently in the area of orthodontics is the device known as the laminagraph, which is a radiography apparatus.
In one shot, the lamina graph can capture the whole dentofacial region in an Xray and only use one sixth the normal amount of radiation. As a diagnostic tool, laminagraphy is very effective, but it will not take the place of individual X rays.
by: John Chambers
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