Some people need to have their teeth moved because they are experiencing jaw and face pain. When the bite is misaligned, it can produce symptoms that are similar to TMJ and can be painful. The only way to deal with this issue is to have your bite corrected and moved into place so that the front teeth sit securely over the top of the back teeth and that your molars are where they should be when relaxing and eating.
Orthodontics can help by moving teeth into place and aligning a person’s bite. Most people think of an orthodontist as someone who works with braces only. Braces are an excellent way to straighten and move teeth, so this is a common procedure. There are, however, other oral health issues that are typically not addressed with braces, but still require treatment by a professional orthodontist.
These procedures include:
- Spacers. Fixed spacers can be used to hold a place for an adult tooth to come in. This is frequently used when a child loses a baby tooth prematurely and, as a result, the pallet starts to move and overcrowding takes place. Permanent teeth can start to come in behind other teeth as a result of this problem, making a spacer an important solution for keeping room in the mouth for adult teeth to come in properly.
- Invisalign ®. Those that want straight teeth without wearing braces can use Invisalign® or another type of aligner to move their teeth into place. This is basically a series of clear retainers that surround the mouth and move the teeth slowly into place with new aligners being worn every couple of weeks.
- Jaw repositioning appliances. This is a removable device that is worn on the upper or lower jaw and ensures that the jaw stays in position. It is used to train the jaw to close a certain way.
- Expanders. Those that need to expand their pallet may need to wear one of these devices. It is used by itself and in conjunction with braces in order to open the pallet enough for the teeth to fit in place without overcrowding.
- Retainers. A removable retainer is often required after braces are taken off in order to keep teeth from moving back into their old position. They can also be used to help move teeth overtime. Some children wear a modified retainer to help stop thumb sucking.
These are only a few of the ways that an orthodontist can help to straighten teeth, address oral health problems, and prevent jaw and face pain. To learn more, schedule a consultation.
