In addition to the relocation of teeth, orthodontics includes the overall direction of the growth of jaws and development of occlusion. Orthodontic treatment is given for aesthetic and functional reasons. Severe malocclusions may cause disorders of the jaw joint and other functional disorders, which can often be corrected by orthodontics. There are primarily two types of orthodontic equipment used in the correction of malocclusions: detachable and fixed ones. With permanent teeth, fixed equipment are usually used for moving teeth. Typically, treatment lasts a couple of years, and the interval between appointments is 4-5 weeks. After active treatment, the retention stage follows, which means maintenance of the results achieved by treatment with the aid of a retention device.

Normal bite

In a normal bite the upper and lower teeth form even and symmetrical arches without gaps. While biting your teeth together the upper and lower arches match each other in such a way that the outer surface of every upper tooth is farther out than that of the lower tooth. The line between the two middle front teeth should be in line with the median line of the face. The upper front teeth overlap the edge of the lower front teeth a couple of millimeters. However, this kind of ideal bite is nowadays quite rare. These days, it is accepted that in a normal bite there are small defects, such as a slight rotation of a tooth and slight gaps between teeth.

Malocclusion

A malocclusion is considered to be the kind of deviation from a normal bite that negatively affects chewing, the formation of sound or the appearance of the teeth. There has been an increase in malocclusion in Western societies over the last couple of centuries. The fact that people no longer need to chew their food as much, resulting from the soft composition of food, is considered to be one important reason for this.

Timing

Orthodontics can be started already with baby teeth, but usually orthodontics is performed after the first permanent teeth erupt, most often at age 9-12. On the other hand, age is no obstacle for orthodontics, an adult's teeth can also be straightened nearly as easily as children's.

CONSULT YOUR DENTIST ABOUT YOUR OWN NEEDS OR YOUR CHILDREN'S NEEDS FOR ORTHODONTICS. In public health centers, orthodontics cannot be provided for all the children that want it.

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Experts:

• Lea Tammelin