Common Orthodontic Issues

How Do I Know If I Need an Orthodontist?

You may benefit from an orthodontic evaluation if you notice crowded or widely spaced teeth, a bite that doesn't come together properly, protruding front teeth, jaw discomfort, or changes in the balance of your facial profile. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have a first orthodontic check by age 7, but it's never too late. Adults can be evaluated and treated at any age.

Crowding of the teeth

This boy started treatment at age 11 and wore braces for 20 months. He loves his new smile.

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Open bite: front teeth don’t touch

This girl sucked her thumb as a young child. She started treatment at age 13. She had braces and a special appliance — called a crib — to retrain the tongue, for 24 months. Now she can bite the lettuce out of a sandwich.

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Deep overbite: Lower front teeth bite into palate

This adult patient, age 25, required braces and jaw surgery to correct his severe overbite. Treatment lasted two years. His problem could have been corrected without surgery if he had been treated before he was a teenager.

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Missing lateral incisors

This woman’s lateral incisors were missing since birth. She had braces for 20 months to move the teeth into their correct positions, then the missing teeth were replaced with bonded “Maryland” bridges.

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Underbite: Lower front teeth in front of upper teeth

This woman’s underbite was causing her jaw joint discomfort and excessive wear patterns on her teeth. After about 22 months of treatment starting at age 32, she now finds smiling and chewing much easier.

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Spacing of teeth

The patient was bothered by the spaces between his teeth. Braces closed the spaces and gave him an ideal bite in 18 months. Special glued-in retainers help keep the spaces closed.

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Overjet: protruding front teeth

At age ten, this girl had a big overjet with the top teeth protruding beyond the bottom. She had two phases of treatment. The first helped her jaws to grow more harmoniously and the second aligned her teeth and bite. At age 13, she was proudly displaying her new smile.

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Non-braces treatment

Sometimes, braces are not needed to get noticeable improvements in tooth alignment. This patient was first seen at age seven for crowding of the lower permanent teeth. A procedure was performed to reduce the width of the adjacent baby teeth and the permanent incisors aligned on their own in nine months.

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Phase One

This boy’s parents were concerned about both aesthetics and the health of the erupting permanent teeth when they brought him to the orthodontist at age eight. The lower front teeth were crowded and touching the palate, and the upper front teeth were extremely displaced from their normal positions. After 12 months of Phase-One treatment with an expander and partial braces, the patient’s appearance and dental function were vastly improved.