Orthodontic treatment in adults

Orthodontic treatment in adults is done if there are: some crooked teeth, the crowding of the teeth of the jaw, the spaces between the upper teeth too large, before inserting the prosthesis or the dental implant, disorders of the temporomandibular joint or orthodontic treatment or mixed maxillofacial surgery. If there are healthy teeth and sufficient bone structure, there is no age limit.

The treatment can be carried out even at the age of 60 or 70 years. There are also invisible orthodontic appliances for the correction of the malposition of teeth in adults. A series of invisible, subtle and elastic special synthetic aligners allow you to move your teeth carefully to the desired position. According to the degree of difficulty, the patient receives 3 to 6 elastic aligners.

After 2-3 weeks of treatment the patient receives another device. The aligners are practically invisible in the mouth, do not bother to speak and are taken only to eat and to clean the teeth. A fixed orthodontic appliance can also be placed behind the dental arch, which is also invisible in this case. However, this type of device can only be used by patients whose teeth are long enough and its surface is large enough to be able to fix the appliance on the inside of the teeth.

The tooth can change its position due to the growth or reduction of the alveolar bone. The part where the apparatus exerts pressure is the direction in which the tooth should move. One of the characteristics of alveolar bone is its tendency to retreat if it is exposed to a constant pressure. The fibers that hold the tooth in the opposite part to the part where the pressure is exerted are lengthened and therefore the alveolar bone reacts with the bone formation in this place. Only then can the tooth move in the desired direction.

The reduction of the alveolar bone usually takes less of its growth and that can produce a temporary loosening of the teeth during the orthodontic treatment. The tooth is again fixed when the growth of the alveolar bone is finished. Because of this reduction and growth of the alveolar bone the teeth move throughout life. That is why in the case of a healthy denture, orthodontic treatments can be performed even in advanced age. But since teeth have a tendency to move to return to the previous position, the retention phase after orthodontic treatment is particularly important. In some cases this phase can last a lifetime.

Orthodontics for adults, types and prices

If you are an adult and you do not like the appearance of your teeth, you should know that you can radically change the appearance of these thanks to an orthodontics.

Many adults, for various reasons, can have very ugly and misaligned teeth. In addition, we must not only focus on the aesthetics of these teeth, we also have to look at the functionality, since in many cases there is not a good bite, or the teeth may be moving and causing them to huddle with each other. This situation, over the years, makes it really uncomfortable for someone to even smile.

In addition, you may think that not being a teenager, the use of orthodontics as it is outside of your “era.” You are totally wrong, because the use of orthodontics in adults is very normal, in fact it is increasingly widespread the good habit of using these orthodontics those people who really need them and could not benefit from them in their younger years.

You can also think that it is very ugly that your teeth are now seen as a mess of irons or that you do not want all of your acquaintances to begin to ask you why you are using an orthodontics at your age. You should know that today’s orthodontics are very different from those of a few years ago and that, while it is true that there are still orthodontics “that can be seen”, there are others that are totally invisible to others.

Types of orthodontics for adults and their prices

We must tell you that, whatever the orthodontics you choose, the result will always be the same. That is to say, the teeth end up aligning the same with a classic orthodontics that with an invisible one. The only thing that differentiates one from another is simply the process.

The orthodontics of all life

The orthodontics best known to all is the typical orthodontics with metal brackets.

This orthodontics is at your disposal if you are not a person who suffers complexes and if you want to spend less money. The disadvantage of these metal brackets is that they are logically visible, but the price of this orthodontic treatment is lower (above 2500 dollars).

Orthodontics with sapphire brackets

Basically it is a classic orthodontics, but instead of using metal brackets, they use sapphire, which is whitish in color and is much more dissimulated with the tooth.

It does not become an invisible orthodontics properly so called, but it is more concealed than the previous one. The price is somewhat more expensive, about 3000 dollars.

The lingual orthodontics

With the lingual orthodontics for adults we can begin to say that we enter the field of invisible orthodontics.

Lingual orthodontics is also a classic orthodontics, but in this case the devices that align the teeth are placed behind it, leaving the visible face of the tooth free.

This way, nobody will notice that you are wearing an orthodontic device unless you say it. The only disadvantages of this method is that it can be a bit more annoying at first, and that cleaning it is also more difficult.

The price of lingual orthodontics is about the same as the previous one, over 3000 dollars.

Invisible orthodontics

This orthodontics has lately become very fashionable. It involves placing transparent aligners above the teeth, which move the teeth little by little.

These aligners are removed for drinking and eating without any effort and are very difficult to detect.

The price of invisible orthodontics is higher given the novelty, you can leave from 4000 to 6000 dollars (each aligner costs about 200 dollars) .

Summarizing

If you are an adult and you do not like the appearance of your teeth, do not hesitate to go to your dentist of confidence so that I can explain to you what orthodontic appliances can work best for you.

Dental health is something very important that we must take care of, and we can not let a series of prejudices ruin our aesthetics and our comfort and security in ourselves. More and more adults are aware of this, and come to perform an orthodontics if they really need it. So if you need it too, get in there as soon as possible.

Orthodontics in adults

Reasons for placing you orthodontics in adulthood

  • You have already had orthodontics when you were a teenager, but over time your teeth have moved.
  • A few years ago the orthodontic treatments ended once the teeth were perfectly aligned, and the possibility of them moving again was not taken into account.
  • Nowadays, however, an orthodontic treatment does not end until the patient takes with him at least one retention system (sometimes, up to two: one removable and the other fixed). And is that the teeth have memory and will always tend to return to their initial position. So, if you have ever had orthodontics, but they did not put a restraint system on you, you will have seen how your teeth have moved with no other remedy than going through the orthodontist again.
  • For one reason or another, you did not get to treat yourself when you were younger and you think that now could be the right time.
  • Perhaps because of an economic issue or because at that time you did not see it necessary, but today is the day you regret not having put on orthodontics when you were younger. However, every time you see more adults with “apparatus” and perhaps it is not such a bad idea to correct those defects that create certain insecurities.
  • Even if your smile is aesthetically fine, you have functional problems: clicks in the jaw, digestive problems…
  • You have muscular pains, problems when digesting food or you hear clicks in your jaw. You are not worried about the aesthetics of your smile, but maybe you have a functional problem in your maxilla or jaw that prevents you from leading a normal life. You think the time has come for you to see a specialist and maybe orthodontics may be a solution for you.
  • Your teeth have moved as a result of some type of dental problem: gum disease, movements as a result of the absence of a tooth…
  • Gum disease (periodontitis or pyorrhea), the absence of a missing tooth, etc. They have moved your teeth and you no longer smile with the same safety. You think the time has come to correct it before your problem goes further and you trust that orthodontics will make you recover the smile you once wore.

Orthodontics to correct teeth

What is the ideal orthodontic treatment for you?

You do not worry too much about aesthetics and you are looking for an efficient and economical treatment

If you do not give too much importance to your image and prefer to make a minor investment when it comes to correcting your smile, you can opt for metal brackets. They are the most traditional solution, and as efficient as the newest systems.

Brackets

You care about your image, but you are also looking for an economic orthodontic system

If metallic braces do not convince you because they are unsightly, but you are still looking for an inexpensive device, you can opt for ceramic brackets.

Ceramic brackets

Aesthetics is extremely important for you and you put it before any other aspect

If you need to put orthodontics, but you do not want anyone to perceive that you carry the device and the price is not a problem, we have the ideal system for you: lingual orthodontics.

Lingual braces are placed on the inside of the tooth so that the visible part of your smile will be completely free of irons and will not affect your social or work life at all.

In addition, thanks to the fact that each bracket and each arch are completely made to measure after carrying out an intraoral 3D scan of the patient’s mouth, this personalization assures us that the treatment will be highly effective and faster than with other orthodontic systems.

Lingual device

You are a responsible person In addition, you give great importance to your image and look for a method that is comfortable and that allows you to maintain good dental hygiene without effort

The clear aligners are for you if:

  • You are a responsible person and you commit to put them on the 22 hours a day they require to be effective.
  • You care about the aesthetics of your smile and do not want to know anything about the brackets (neither metallic, aesthetic, nor lingual)
  • Bets for the convenience of being able to remove the aligners to eat any type of food (either hard or sticky) or if you have an important event.
  • You want to be able to maintain proper dental hygiene without the effort required by other systems such as braces (special interproximal brushes for orthodontics, floss super floss …).

Parents send the fear of their dentist to their children

When we are small we learn to perceive the world through our parents, and because of that we end up inheriting their phobias and fears, because everything they fear is interpreted as a potential danger.

Now, a study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry has shown statistically that fear of the dentist is transmitted from father to son. So, if you get cold sweats every time you think of the dentist’s chair, you probably will not be the only one in your family to have that feeling.

The researchers, from the Carlos III University of Madrid, analyzed 183 children between 7 and 12 years old and their parents and found that, as expected, the fear levels of parents and children are correlated. In addition, the study explores the different roles of fathers and mothers in the transmission of fear. “Although the results should be taken with due caution, children seem to fundamentally attend to the emotional reactions of their parents to decide if dental events are potentially stressful. In this way, the father can mediate the transmission of fear from the mother to the child, since his reaction to the dentist can increase or reduce the anxiety experienced by the child.

In the face of dental clinic care, work with parents is fundamental, so that parents are calm, it is as interesting as directly seeking to relax the child. By the way of positive emotional contagion in the family could be induced in the child the right state that facilitates dental care.

Professional teeth whitening

The professional tooth whitening is the best solution for stained or yellow teeth. It is a matter of going to a dental clinic for a dentist to assess the problem, study the type of enamel of the patient, its resistance, permeability and sensitivity, to resort to the most appropriate technique to whiten the teeth, without damaging the pieces dental or gums.

Nowadays, it is normal to find a wide variety of bleaching products in large areas and on the Internet, such as dental whitening kits at home. But these methods can be counterproductive to oral health, because it uses abrasive substances that, if used excessively and for a long time, can cause irreversible damage to the gums and teeth.

In addition to this, the procedures for whitening the teeth carried out by specialists in a clinic always yield more satisfactory and lasting results. In some cases, the dentist may recommend some type of additional treatment to help keep the tone of enamel obtained with professional teeth whitening longer. Thus, for example, some toothpastes or mouthwashes help eliminate superficial spots and keep white teeth.

External professional whitening

First of all, we must refer to external tooth whitening, since it is the most common technique. In order to carry out this procedure, the dentist designs customized splints for the patient to spread a whitening gel, composed of hydrogen peroxide or, where appropriate, car amide peroxide. Before this, the gums are protected by a rubber sleeve, to prevent them from burning with the gel. To improve the results, a powerful light is applied on the teeth.

Depending on the particular circumstances and the needs of the patient, the dentist will advise to continue with the treatment at home, to improve the results, or will prefer to complete the treatment in the clinic with successive sessions.

If you opt for the first, then it would be a mixed dental whitening, consisting of using splints at home with whitening gel. If you opt for this method, it is very important that the person follow the instructions of the dentist, both in relation to the procedure, such as the amounts of peroxide that is applied, the time of exposure or the duration of the treatment.

Thus, it is possible that the whitening product must be applied several times a day or only once; and the time may vary between 30 minutes or overnight. The effects are usually perceived after the first week, progressively.

Internal teeth whitening

On the other hand, there is internal tooth whitening with whitening the tooth from inside. Unlike the external one (which can also be done at home) internal whitening can only be applied by a professional.

This technique consists of applying a whitening agent inside the tooth (in the pulp chamber) and, normally, it is completed with an external whitening so that the effects are better. Patients who need to bleach non-vital teeth, that is, parts that have been previously restored by some kind of root canal treatment in which the nerves and blood vessels have been replaced by a filling, are recommended.

Given this situation, to practice internal tooth whitening the specialist drills the tooth to introduce the bleaching product. Then, seal the hole with a temporary filling, leaving the compound inside to act. After about a week, the patient will be cited again in the consultation to extract the product and finally seal the hole.

Preparation

Before performing any type of professional whitening, it is necessary for the dentist to examine the condition of the patient’s mouth and teeth, in order to rule out the existence of any problem or oral disease that may affect the success of the bleaching treatment, or that may harm the gums, soft tissues or enamel.

For example, if there are cavities, it is necessary to treat them earlier because the bleaching agent can pass through cavities and reach the internal areas of the tooth, aggravating the problem. Also, if the person has the gums retracted, leaving the roots slightly exposed with a yellow or discolored tone, it is possible that the whitening does not have very positive aesthetic results, it may even increase the tooth sensitivity.

It is also advisable to do a dental cleaning prior to professional teeth whitening, to eliminate bacteria and plaque. The best whitening product for the enamel tone of the patient will also be determined and how much should be applied.

How to preserve a professional tooth whitening?

Doing a professional tooth whitening does not mean that the teeth will be kept white forever, especially if you continue to have habits that harm and darken the enamel, such as smoking, not brushing your teeth daily or drinking a lot of coffee, tea, red wine or soft drinks. It is necessary to understand that the enamel is not a smooth surface, but porous, and that there are foods that penetrate it and that are difficult to eliminate.

Even so, there are some tricks that can help keep the good results of a teeth whitening performed by a professional for longer. It is about taking a proper oral hygiene and avoiding products that darken the enamel, while taking those that clean it naturally.

For example, there are some fruits and vegetables that generate a protective film on the enamel, preventing staining and, therefore, being useful to preserve white teeth. We could talk about the apple, the pear, the carrot, the cucumber or the lettuce.

On the other hand, also the fats and proteins contained in the cheese serves to neutralize the acids of certain foods that stain the teeth, while calcium and phosphorus stimulates the creation of saliva that helps the enamel to regenerate. There are also natural remedies that help improve the results of professional teeth whitening.

Professional tooth cleaning

How it works, why it is getting more and more expensive and why it can also be dangerous for your teeth.

 Brush, scratch, clean

The service used to be a visit to the dentist like opening the door of an optician: “I’ll get rid of the pads quickly,” the doctor promised after completing the treatment and reached for the scratch. From this casual – and free – service has now developed the prevention service par excellence in German practices: the professional teeth cleaning, short PZR called.

With brushes and scratches, ultrasound and airflow, dentists or specially qualified prophylaxis assistant’s clean teeth and gum pockets. There are sometimes places where even thorough cleaners do not use the brush.  The professional can significantly better, as every patient will confirm. As bright as white shortly after the PZR, the teeth are never otherwise.

If plaque becomes dangerous

Shorter intervals between brushing are only allowed in the case of massive inflammation in the mouth, or if the patients are no longer able to brush their teeth. Because the bacterial deposits have to go away, as they endanger not only the biting and the periodontium, but also the rest of the body.

Private

Although the PZR considers the legal provisions to be “basically good” . Some also give grants or donate bonus points. But they do not want to take over the treatment completely. Of course you shy away from the cost, on the other hand you can see the oral hygiene as a private matter.

A tooth costs 4.22 dollars

In addition, some health insurance does not seem quite convinced of the benefits. “The importance of professional dental cleaning in plaque control is less clear,” says the TK website. In plain language: Whether the PZR improves the oral health sustainable, is questionable. Skeptics even claim that the cleaning effect is lost after only 24 hours.

The normal cash patient has to pay himself, and in the future usually more than before. Because until the end of 2011, there was no figure in the scale of fees for the PZR, each dentist calculated his own price. Depending on the financial strength of his patients came so a price range of 40 to 120 dollars.

New bill

That’s different now: Per tooth (simple fee rate) $ 1.57 estimated. Since hardly a dentist reaches under the 2.3-fold sentence to the tool, is to be assumed from 3, 62 dollars per tooth. Makes 101.36 dollars for 28 teeth.

Clean in seven steps

The yellowish deposits are not appetizing. And they are also not healthy, because countless bacteria cavort in it. In one millimeter, estimates are 200 million bacteria. Discoloration (tea, nicotine) are harmless in this way, but repulsive for your counterpart.

Not Just Cosmetics

Even if one is most impressed by the new look of teeth after a PZR, the PZR is not a cosmetic. The teeth are freed from deposits on all sides to minimize the bacteria. That they radiate again after all the scratching, blasting, polishing is a nice side effect.

Reasons to choose the dental veneer

Then we will know the different reasons to opt for the dental veneer and it is one of the most advisable aesthetic solutions that we find within the field of Dentistry that treats the improvement of the dental aesthetics of the patients. In this sense, we must highlight the important role that dental aesthetics plays in society and this translates into numerous patients interested in undergoing one of the many aesthetic interventions.

Dental esthetics and reasons to choose the dental veneer

Thanks to dental veneers we can improve our smile through a process as simple as it is quick and painless. We are facing the placement of thin sheets that are placed in the enamel offering important changes that will improve the aesthetics of our pieces without this result affecting oral functionality.

If there is something that we would highlight of dental veneers is the wide variety of situations that we can solve through this process since not only will they be useful in case a patient presents severe dental stains but also the insertion of dental veneers in case of slight misalignment or crowding as well as they will be very useful to close a diatom.

Another of the utilities proposed by the veneers is found in the correction of the shape of small teeth or to solve a dental trauma. It is clear in this way that the possibilities proposed by the veneers are very wide and varied, which makes this process one of those that have a greater claim today.

There are different types of dental veneers, probably the best known and most popular is the veneer composed of porcelain since it offers excellent aesthetic results.

To carry out this process two sessions are necessary in which the measurements of the patient’s parts will be taken and then the veneers will be designed in a dental laboratory depending on the characteristics that the patient presents. In some cases a small dental carving will be necessary before finally placing the porcelain veneer, which not only assures us a beautiful aesthetics but also a very resistant and durable material.

On the other hand we must also talk about composite veneers as another of the alternatives that we have at our disposal, this being a faster process (a single session) and minimally invasive to not require the carving of the tooth, although the results are not as aesthetic compared to porcelain composite veneers.

Reasons why your baby does not get teeth

Most babies are born with milk teeth under their gums. Babies teeth usually begin to come out at 6 months of age, according to the American Dental Association. Baby teeth can keep coming out until 3 years old.

The age at which your baby’s teeth will appear can vary greatly from one child to another. In some rare cases, the baby’s teeth do not appear, and in fact they have not developed.

Genetic defects that affect a child’s physical development can also affect the appearance of the baby’s teeth.

The National Institutes of Health’s information service explains that babies born with program or Down syndrome may end up losing their primary teeth. Progenies is a condition in which the child’s body ages much faster than the others.

Down syndrome, medically known as trisomy of par 21, occurs when a person is born with three chromosomes instead of two in a particular section of their DNA. Science Daily reports that a mutation in a gene called PAX9 can also cause abnormalities in teeth, or even lack thereof, but it is usually a situation in which the person develops milk teeth and not adults.

Hormonal irregularities

The hormonal irregularities of the thyroid and parathyroid glands can contribute to the delay or complete absence of baby teeth, according to Medline Plus. Both glands are located in the neck and secrete hormones that control many different processes in the body, from the metabolism to the levels of certain nutrients in the blood.

Hypothyroidism or hyperparathyroidism are conditions in which your body does not generate enough of the hormones secreted by each gland. Suffering from either or both conditions, each one is different, can affect the development of the primary teeth. The parathyroid glands control the amount of vitamin D and calcium levels in the body, which is an essential component of the teeth.

A child with low levels of parathyroid hormone may not cut their baby’s teeth, develop them much later than the average age, or experience weak tooth enamel, which can increase the chances of developing tooth decay.

Recommendations for the oral health of the elderly

The elderly can present many oral diseases such as caries, periodontal disease and even oral cancer, the most prominent being periodontal disease, whose inflammation or infection attacks the gums and the bone that keeps your teeth in place.

Many gastrointestinal diseases are related to the loss of teeth, studies show that the loss of teeth is associated with a state of malnutrition.

In that sense, they recommended self-care as a means to maintain the integrity of the oral cavity and a visit to the dentist every six months.

Oral hygiene techniques that include the use of the toothbrush with the softest bristles on the market, toothpastes with fluorides, the use of dental floss and mouth rinses are recommended, when it comes to caring for the elderly.

In addition, they detailed that both preventive and curative therapeutic measures are aimed at eliminating as many microorganisms as possible, basically through the instruction of appropriate hygiene techniques for each patient, in combination with plaque removal therapies and deposits. Calcified, calculus (tartar) on the part of the dentist.

On the other hand, they highlighted that the older adult, in itself, suffers many changes that cause many discomfort. These changes can be the loss of alveolar bone, dental mobility, decreased taste, which cause decreased appetite and consequently weight loss and even anemia.

Saving a baby tooth could save a life

Why save a baby tooth of our children? How would you help them? Only them or the whole family? What if they all dropped? How does the system work? What is a biological insurance? What diseases can cure? What is regenerative medicine? What are Stem cells?

Adult Stem Cells (AMCs) are found throughout our body. Its function, among others, is to repair tissues, to heal. The researcher Jacques nor explained: Let us give the example of an ulcer: if there are no stem cells, it cannot be repaired, the gap remains. What allows scarring is the presence of stem cells.

However, we need to have a good amount to apply them in regenerative medicine treatments. We need a source in which there is sufficient quantity and which, in turn, can multiply.

To meet this, we found three main sources: bone marrow (1960s), fat or adipose tissue (1980s) and teeth (2003).

Is there a tooth? Where?

The dental pulp, that soft tissue that is inside the tooth, contains many high quality CMA, which also have an enormous capacity for multiplication, obtaining billions or trillions of CMA with great potentiality of differentiation.

With milk teeth we have 20 opportunities to obtain the CMA from their pulp, since in total they are 20 deciduous teeth. And only one tooth is needed to obtain, multiply and preserve the quantity and sufficient quality of CMA.

It is also an easy and painless procedure, because the milk tooth in the stage of change of the dentition, falls naturally or may require minimal assistance from the dentist.

We know that these teeth tend to fall out of the mouth of children at the least expected time, so if you want to preserve it for the extraction of your CMA, parents should contact the dentist, to coordinate the removal of the tooth in the moment.

What are the use of Stem Cells?

Stem cells differentiate (transform) into the cells of our body. If we need bone cells we will have bone, if we need it in the heart they will become heart cells, if we want to recover from a nervous system affection they will become neurons.

Today we know that stem cells have the ability to differentiate into skin, bone, cartilage, muscles, heart muscle, liver or pancreas cells, including neurons and glia. Tissue and cell engineering has achieved through various processes to make the CMA differentiate into the tissue that the patient might need.

At the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Anthony Attala has worked for decades in tissue engineering making heart valves, blood vessels, liver, muscles, skin and even ears, as well as cell therapies that treat Parkinson’s disease , diabetes or kidney failure.

More and more diseases are treated with what we call regenerative medicine, be it cell therapy or tissue engineering. And having the patient’s own stem cells is fundamental.

Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, said: “The natural forces within us are the true healers of the disease.”

All the milk teeth fell: is there another chance?

Yes. Third molars or other permanent teeth that must be extracted (by orthodontics, for example) also work.

Does it serve only them or others in the family?

In the opinion of many researchers, relatives can use them, but it is imperative that compatibility tests be done.

How is it the procedure?

Go to your dentist, he will give you information. He is the one who, in addition to the clinical procedure, gets in touch with the analysis system and the cell bank for preservation.

Keeping the dental pulp from a tooth of our children can be very important for their future.