An orthodontist is a dentist who practices orthodontics in Orange Park, one of the dental specialties. These specialists work with patients who have crooked teeth or misaligned jaws. Patients often request orthodontic care for cosmetic purposes but there are just as many who require it for health reasons. People who display dental irregularities often suffer from embarrassment and insecurity, but the same condition can have a negative impact on the way a person chews or speaks. Often the condition will cause sleep apnea, snoring and other forms of breathing problems.
A considerable percentage of the population, both old and young, suffers from some type of irregular teeth or jaw problems. Some are quite severe, others may be little more than teeth which are crowded which tends to twist them in the jaw or cause them to overlap.
A patient’s potential problem is usually spotted first by the family dentist who in turn can make arrangements for a visit to a specialist who practices orthodontics in Orange Park area. The first appointment is straight forward; the orthodontist will study the teeth, jaw and facial features of the patient and make a recommendation which often includes the fitting of braces.
If the patient agrees with the findings of the orthodontist and wishes to go ahead with the treatment, a further series of appointments will be required. The patient’s upper and lower teeth will be X-Rayed, impressions will be made of the upper and lower dental arch and photos will be taken of the teeth and face. The impressions will be used to make a mold which is used to design the braces, retainer or other device that may be needed to align the teeth to the normal state. Over a period of time, perhaps as much as a year for difficult cases, repeat visits to the orthodontist are necessary as the bands require adjustment to compensate for the teeth which are slowly moving into the desired position.
One of the biggest reasons for dental problems can be explained as hereditary, this is one of the primary reasons that children should see an orthodontist before all their permanent teeth appear. Most dentists will suggest that their minor patients undergo orthodontics in Orange Park at about seven years of age. Early intervention allows the orthodontist to take advantage of the fact that the jaw is still growing and corrections are significantly easier to make.
