Brooklyn Dentist ORTHODONTICS AS A FIELD OF DENTISTRY

There are a large number of fields which a dentist may choose to narrow his field of study to. An example of these fields is cosmetic dentistry. As opposed to the strict dental health of a patient, cosmetic dentistry is concerned with the aesthetic appearance of the teeth.

One of the main foundational fields of cosmetic dentistry is orthodontics. Orthodontics is defined as the study and treatment of malocclusions. Malocclusions is a medical term for improper teeth bites which are considered to be caused by tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships or even both.

The main focus for an orthodontist would be either dental displacement only or may also include modification of facial growth. Dentrofacial orthopedics is the name given to this kind of modification. Its main purpose is the improvement if the aesthetic appearance of both the teeth and mouth.

Edward Angle is acclaimed as being the father of modern orthodontics. Angle was a dentist whose interest lay in not only the functionality of dentistry but also its aesthetics. collaboration with Edmund H. Wuerpel sought to enable him to apply aesthetics in dentistry. Upon his success, Angle was able to start the Angle School of Orthodontics in St. Lois Missouri and orthodontics was established as a field of dentistry. Edward Angle is also responsible for the coining of the term, ‘malocclusion’ to refer to anomalies of teeth position. He further classified various abnormalities of the teeth and jaws and developed appropriate treatments for them. This treatment incorporated the use of appliances he had invented as well as surgical techniques he had devised.

Ever since, orthodontics has witnessed a rapid advancement in sophistication. Orthodontic treatment often involves inserting of metal wires into orthodontic brackets which are commonly referred to as dental braces. The brackets then move into the desired position by their interaction with the wires.

Invisalign is yet another method that is often used. Clear plastic aligners comprise invisalign and they work to level and align the teeth properly. Invisalign, however, requires a higher level of patient compliance.

Orthodontics also deals with the dental needs of children between the ages of 5 and 14. For this age group, functional appliances are used by a dentist to modify jaw dimensions and relationships if they happen to be faulty. Fixed multi-bracket therapy is then used to align the tooth and correct the occlusion.

Summarily dentists who mainly focus on orthodontics have the task of treating improper bites in the teeth as well as fixing crooked teeth. The use of braces and retainers is extensively done so as to put teeth in the right place and achieve this. Since retainers do not necessarily leave a permanent effect, a patient may be required to put them on from time to time even after treatment is complete. It is now evident that orthodontics is a field of dentistry that has greatly revolutionized society.