DENTAL BRACES FOR THE 1ST TIMER!

                                                    Its All in the moves!!

Anyone whose worn braces might know the embarrassment of dental embracement. But the perks of orthodontic correction both cosmetic and medical, quite overshadows even the dire nine months involved. Common malocclusions or misalignment of the teeth include over bite, under bite, crowding etc. If not for aesthetic reasons these problems must be addressed early to avoid risks of poor oral hygiene in the future.

THE PROCESS:

   Willy wonka in his braces with the headgear

The recent advancements in this field have made quite a dramatic improvement in improving the visual appeal. If you’ve seen little Willy Wonka you’ll know. Now the technology has so radically improved to the point of invisible ceramic braces next to the regular steel braces. The basic architecture of any brace includes:

        So during you first visit to the dentist, an impression of your teeth is made following which all the these paraphernalia are made in a customized manner to suit your dentition. Initially the brackets are fixed to each of your teeth via adhesives and laser and the arch wire is passed through the brackets and tightened to position by means of alastics. Now the arch wire is going to provide the necessary strain on teeth because it has a property to maintain its shape thereby eventually pulling the teeth along to proper alignment.

MECHANISM INVOLVED:

Now as simple as that sound one might wonder why this requires such a lengthy time span. For that well have delve deeper into the molecular mechanics of the process. So fundamentally what happens during orthodontic correction is just a highly regulated injury and repair process. The keystone to this process being an intervening biologically active tissue, the periodontal ligament playing that role here.

 So initially when traction is applied to the tooth, we are actually injuring the periodontal ligament. This triggers release of inflammatory cytokines like IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α which cause necrosis of the surrounding soft tissue followed by the recruitment of osteoclasts that initiate alveolar bone resorption in the direction of the force. This is marked by the loosening of the tooth and its movement in the desired direction. The next step is reparative phase carried out by the osteoblasts and fibroblasts which deposit new bone and connective tissue required for the anchorage of the tooth in the new position. So finally the teeth are aligned to according to the bend of the arch wire. Constant impetus is provided by repeated visits to the dentist to keep the wire tightly wound. So putting your teeth in a tight spot is will eventually give you a beautiful curve on your face to put all matters straight.

That’s for today !