Orthodontics
for Teenagers
Braces
are most commonly placed between the
ages of 12 and 15. Also known as fixed
orthodontic appliances, braces are usually
worn for 24 months and in that time
can correct most dental malocclusions.
Adolescents are in the unique position
of having all their permanent teeth
and a still-growing jaw, making them
the ideal candidates for orthodontic
treatment.
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How
does orthodontics work?
You
usually think about your jaw as being
solid like a rock, but when you are
growing your jaw is really more like
clay. If you apply pressure to your
jaw, you can get your jaw to stretch.
If you pull your jaw apart, your jaw
will get wider. If you push your jaw
back, your jaw will slowly move back.
Your jaw does not actually stretch.
Instead, when you pull on your jaw,
your jaw grows in the direction you
are pulling. Still, the important thing
is that when your braces pull on your
jaw, the braces change the shape of
your jaw.
In
the same way, if you push on your teeth,
your teeth will move around in your
mouth.
The
orthodontic practioner pushes your jaw
to stretch your mouth so all your teeth
fit. He then pushes on your teeth so
they are all in the proper places. If
your top jaw is too small, your orthodontist
can install a special gadget called
a "palatal expander" to get
your jaw to grow wider. If your teeth
stick out, your orthodontic practioner
can install another gadget called a
"facebow" to push your back
teeth back. In that way, your orthodontist
is able to move around individual teeth
and expand your jaw so that all of your
teeth fit correctly in your mouth.
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Why
should I get Braces?
It
is hard to believe when you are going
through it, but braces will improve
your smile and make you look excellent.
Your smile is the most striking part
of your face. Look in the mirror. Do
you like your smile now. Well, the orthodontic
practioner will make your smile look
fabulous. You will end up looking great.
Think about how looking great will improve
your social life.
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Braces
Improve Your Health
You
will be able to chew your food better.
Chewing is the
first step in digestion. If your teeth
are not straight, you will not be able
to chew your food correctly so partially
unchewed food will go down to your stomach.
That can give you an upset stomach.
You
will avoid dental problems.
If you do not
get orthodontic treatment when you need
it you will have problems with your
teeth for years to come; your teeth
will be hard to clean. Your gums will
hurt. Your teeth will wear in ways that
the should not. The effects are significant
enough that many adults are now going
back to the orthodontist for braces.
You
may avoid developing a breathing problem.
As you get older the roof your mouth
can sometimes partially block the air
passages in your nose. That makes you
snore loudly, and may contribute to
a condition called "sleep apnea".
If you get braces you can avoid this
possibility.
Why
do people need braces, and why didn't
evolution/natural selection eliminate
the need for braces?
Good Question! Orthodontic problems
are built into your genes.
Back,
10,000 years ago, in the days of the
cave men people had nearly perfect bites.
No one needed braces. But then adult
cave men were only four feet tall. Teenagers
were two or three feet (0.7 to 1 meter)
tall.
In
the last 10,000 years, people got bigger.
People's mouths got a little bigger
but people's teeth got A LOT BIGGER.
The result is that most peoples teeth
no longer fit correctly in most people's
mouths. Your orthodontist moves around
your teeth and possibly stretches your
mouth so everything fits correctly.
Look
how big your front teeth are now. Would
those teeth fit if you were only two
or three (70 cm to 1 M) feet tall?
Are there other reasons that
people need braces.
Hmm.
We do not know. It has been said that
if babies use a pacifier (dummy) for
too long, they can develop an incorrect
bite. Orthodontic problems can also
be caused by injuries to your mouth,
or if you suck you thumb when you are
older than two. Some orthodontists also
say that fingernail biting, or lip biting
can also cause orthodontic problems.
There is also some information about
breastfeeding increasing orthodontic
problems if the breastfeeding is stopped
suddenly. Still, most people need braces
because their teeth grow faster than
their mouth. That is a natural part
of growing up, and there is nothing
you can do about it.
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