The Science Behind Orthodontics: How Teeth Move and Align

Orthodontics is a dental specialty that focuses on correcting “bad bites” — or malocclusions — and straightening crooked teeth. Often, orthodontic treatments such as clear aligners and braces are considered purely cosmetic, and while they can make your smile beautiful, they impact your oral health as well.

A properly aligned bite and straight teeth reduce your risk of oral health problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and erosion. Plus, it can help relieve other issues, such as frequent headaches or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). 

If you’re about to jump into a series of orthodontic treatments to correct various dental issues, learn how it works beforehand. Our team, led by Nodesh Shyamsunder, BDS, and Jasleen Raina, DDS, at Beaches Dentistry in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, look at the science of orthodontics in this blog.

What can orthodontic treatments address?

Orthodontic treatments can correct several issues, from minor gaps to severe misalignment, and we see kids and adults alike. Here’s a comprehensive list of what we treat with orthodontics at Beaches Dentistry:

• Wide gaps between teeth
• Teeth that don’t fit properly together because of an overbite or underbite
• Overcrowded, impacted, or misplaced teeth
• Teeth that are putting pressure on your jaw and causing pain
• Jaw popping or clicking

Orthodontic treatments can also improve overall chewing, speaking, and breathing function. 

How do orthodontic treatments work?

We offer three main orthodontic treatments at Beaches Dentistry: braces, clear aligners, and retainers. Here we describe each one:

Braces

Traditional metal braces consist of bands, brackets, and wires. First, the bands are secured to your teeth and act as an anchor for the rest of the pieces. Then, the brackets get placed on the front of your teeth, and the wire slides through them. Over time, we tighten the wire to encourage your teeth to move to their new positions. 

Braces work to straighten your teeth by applying constant pressure to them for a long period. Because your teeth aren’t connected to your jawbone but are attached to a malleable membrane instead, your teeth respond well to the braces’ encouragement to move.

At Beaches Dentistry, we offer clear braces, which work exactly like the traditional ones but consist of clear ceramic rather than silver metal. 

Clear aligners

Clear aligners are often a welcome alternative to metal braces since they’re clear, hard plastic. They’re incredibly comfortable and effective when you wear them for at least 20 hours daily. 

When you choose clear aligners, you wear a series of custom-made trays to move your teeth to their new positions. Like braces, clear aligners use gentle force to slowly shift your teeth where they need to go.

Retainers

After you’ve finished your orthodontic treatment, you need to wear a retainer to keep your new smile in place because right after your braces come off or when you finish your series of clear aligners, your teeth want to move back to where they were. 

Wearing a retainer helps your teeth know to stay in their new positions long-term.

To get started with orthodontic treatment, contact our team to schedule an appointment by calling our office or booking online today.