Orthodontics is a specialty that corrects dental misalignment in order to regain a functional and aesthetic dentition.
A field of dentistry in its own right, orthodontics is aimed at promoting dental occlusion (see page Postural Concept by correcting defects in the positioning of the bones, jaws and teeth).
This specialty also has an important aesthetic dimension for the patient.
To achieve an improvement, the orthodontist has a whole range of more or less complex devices that exert forces in the teeth. When the force is directed towards the bone bases, it is called orthopedics.
While children and adolescents represented the majority of orthodontic cases, adults are becoming more aware of perfect alignment of teeth. The harmony of the smile is the primary motivation, but the alignment of the teeth has many other benefits for health and overall body balance.
A qualified orthodontist will provide parents with appropriate treatments based on the age of the patient. The goal of dental clinic will initially restore the balance of bone bases and avoid extractions during a second phase of treatment, between 12 and 14 years.
It is the reference technique in orthodontics because it is the most frequently used. Self-ligating brackets (small metal or ceramic plates) are glued to the surface of the teeth. Bows are inserted and ligated into the grooves of these brackets. The current arcs having super-elastic properties, they will gradually return to their original forms and thus align the teeth. The techniques in this type of treatment are constantly evolving.
Materials are becoming easier to support, more and more harmonious and discreet. Transparent ceramic brackets give a much more natural rendering.
The techniques of this type of treatment are continually developing. The materials are increasingly easy to tolerate, and increasingly harmonious and unobtrusive. Transparent ceramic brackets provide a more natural result.
We offer our young patients ceramic brackets more aesthetic than metal rings.
- at the top ceramic rings
- in low metal rings
The fasteners, of reduced size, are provided with a slide that holds the orthodontic arch without compressing it. Ceramic fasteners used for anterior teeth do not have visible metal parts or yellowing ligatures during treatment.
Specificity - the bow is not tight; it exercises its potential from light forces. The strong decrease in friction facilitates the movement of the teeth in harmony with the muscle strength of the lips, cheeks and tongue. The benefits - the results are faster, comfort and hygiene are improved. In many cases, the system avoids dental extractions or the use of orthognathic surgery.
Invisible treatments move the teeth using transparent removable retention gutters (retainers), to be changed every two to three weeks and worn at least twenty hours a day (except during meals and brushing).
Some systems now offer day gutters and night gutters. Each gutter corresponds to a precise tooth movement.
They are custom made from specialized software that also allows visualization of the desired tooth movements. The teeth move progressively with each change of gutter.
For adolescents, this method offers a more aesthetic social life, provided he/she is conscientious enough to wear the retention gutter every day.
Procedure
As an alternative to conventional techniques, lingual systems can treat the majority of orthodontic problems. Totally invisible from the outside, fixed on the inner side of the teeth, on the side of the tongue, these fasteners are addressed to those who favor aesthetics for professional or private reasons.
The technological process used leads to the manufacture of fasteners perfectly adapted to the teeth. Made to measure, extremely flat, they provide a degree of comfort that requires a period of adaptation and regular brushing, and initially causes some discomfort speech. The benefits - this method is as effective as that of visible fasteners; on the other hand, it requires the practitioners of the experiment and a lot of precision during the installation.
In some cases, the use of jaw surgery should be considered. The most common cases are skeletal disharmony, traumatic dental occlusion or jaw joint dysfunction (temporomandibular). A team of specialists (orthodontist, maxillofacial surgeon, periodontist) coordinates their skills to ensure the best result. The operation is done from inside the oral cavity, without visible external signs. After a few days, the external edema disappears and no trace of the intervention remains.
Early diagnosis in young children can in many cases avoid the need for surgery.
Nevertheless, once the bones have stopped growing, as with adults, various ortho-surgical methods make it possible to treat different cases of misalignment in the jaw effectively, both from an aesthetic and functional point of view.
Duration of surgical treatment.
Pre-surgical phase: 12 to 18 months of orthodontic treatment, usually with a fixed multiple fixation device.
Orthodontists Rhône Dental Clinic
Given the heterogeneity and the difference in training between dentists practicing orthodontics (ranging from an internship for some up to plus 4 years after graduation from dentist), it is recommended to speak only to orthodontists with the title of "specialist in orthodontics" or "specialists in dentofacial orthopedics".
At Rhône Dental Clinic, our professional conscience and our quality charter involve proposing to our patients orthodontists who all have this title following a long and complete university course.
