ORTHODONTICS IN BEGUR / COSTA BRAVA / EMPORDÀ

INFORMATION ON ORTHODONTICS

Orthodontics is a dental specialisation that deals with dental anomalies, such as shape, position, alignment and function of the mouth, teeth and jaws.

This treatment aims to shift teeth in their bony sockets into a proper position for a good or near-perfect bite.

The best age for orthodontics is between 11 and 12, when the milk teeth have fallen out and adult teeth are growing in.

It is now possible to treat adults, as long as they have good oral health.

It takes time and frequent appointments to get teeth into their final, proper position, so patients must be motivated and patient.

TRADITIONAL ORTHODONTICS (BRACKETS)

Traditionally orthodontics has used metal brackets attached to the teeth with metal archwire.

These are also known as fixed braces.

Brackets can be used to treat most orthodontic issues:

• Closing gaps between teeth
• Moving teeth crooked from birth or due to accident
• Overbite
• Misalignment or improper bite

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS ABOUT ORTHODONTICS

• Avoid drinks that could discolour the aligners, such as coffee, tea, wine or soft drinks with colourants. So, we recommend you are careful with anything other than water.
• Avoid smoking.
• Floss regularly to make sure things don’t get stuck between your teeth.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ORTHODONTICS

Is orthodontics painful?

Patients often experience some discomfort during the first days of treatment.

This is normal and should be considered a sign that the aligners are doing their work, moving teeth into the right position.

This discomfort will gradually decrease as the days go by. If it doesn’t, contact your orthodontist.

Does orthodontics affect how you speak?

As with any orthodontics treatment, aligners can temporarily affect speech and you may notice a slight lisp for the first few days.

But as your tongue gets used to having the aligners in your mouth, any slight speech impediment due to the aligners will disappear.

Do I have to be careful about eating certain foods?

Not at all. You can eat and drink anything you want because the aligners can be removed and then put back in.

So, you don’t have to restrict yourself from eating your favourite foods.

Can adults wear orthodontics?

Yes. But, because adult bones have stopped growing, the treatment may be longer and more arduous.

It is often necessary to try more than one treatment and use a strategy other than orthodontics to resolve the problem before moving on to orthodontics with total assurance that the process will yield good results.