The ancient Greeks had a word for it - orthodontics - straight teeth. They even had a way to make the crooked straight - using a combination of common metals and cat gut. And although the cats couldn't have been happy about it, humans have been smiling since.
Those smiles derive from being happy with the cosmetic advantages of having a row of straight teeth. However, there are also medical benefits of correctly aligned teeth:
• Maintain tooth health
• Easier to clean properly aligned teeth
• Easier to chew
• Avoids gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss and/or a severe infection that can lead to heart problems
Nowadays even adults seek out cosmetic dentistry. Ideally, though, kids should have their bite checked at around age 8. Often, family dental services will be the filtering mechanism for this evaluation. If it seems like young mouths will be too small for the size of the emerging permanent teeth, Interception Orthodontia can be performed to expand the arch of the palate. Sometimes, this is all that is necessary to keep things in line. Otherwise, 12 is the average age for braces.
It's interesting to note that we have only developed orthodontic difficulties in the last 10,000 years or so. Early humans apparently had excellent bites. However, as our diets improved over the millennia, most of our bodies grew larger, but our mouths and teeth didn't grow at the same rate. So, the old saying, "Your teeth are too big for your mouth," makes sense. The same is true of palate stretching.
The cost of orthodontia depends on location and the complexity of the problem. A simple overbite being treated in a rural area could carry a $3,000 price tag. A severe malocclusion (bad bite) in a big city might cost as much as $7,000 or more. Some dental insurance policies include orthodontic treatment and often Orthodontists themselves provide payment plans.
Having braces in early childhood can avoid poor jaw development and the long-term effects of crooked teeth in adulthood - tooth loss and grinding, or TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder), an inflammation of the temporomandibular joint. This joint is the connector between the jaw and skull, and if it's not healthy, it can cause difficulty with biting and chewing, a painful jaw and face, a clicking sound when the mouth is opened or closed, even difficulty in completely opening the mouth, and hearing loss.
There are all kinds of modern alternatives and devices to correct crooked teeth - from the traditional brackets and wires to Invisalign ("invisible" braces), braces in "designer" colors, even lingual braces that are fastened to the backs of teeth. Additionally, Orthodontists use sophisticated computer software to monitor and personalize their patients' progress.
The goal, however, is the same -- stunning -- and healthy smiles.
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