Are you one of the many people who put off visiting the dentist? Maybe you associate the dentist with painful experiences in the past, or perhaps you think that your teeth will look after themselves. Whatever your reasons may be you must overcome them and take your place in the dentists' chair. The dentist plays an important role in maintaining your dental hygiene and preventing gum disease or tooth decay. If you would appreciate help finding the right dentist to care for your teeth and help you feel comfortable while undergoing treatment the articles here will help you do that.
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Are You Nervous About Dental Treatment?
What's the Best Way to Correct a Minor Underbite?
Felecia Brewer
Anyone with a significant underbite is likely to have sought orthodontic treatment earlier in life. But it's not always quite so obvious when your lower set of teeth protrude farther out than your upper set of teeth. In fact, your underbite may be so minor that until this point, you haven't considered treatment. Are there any dangers to not seeking treatment for an underbite, and how simple is it to actually treat this condition?
Minor Underbites
If your underbite was prominent, it's likely that it would have been identified by your dentist a long while ago, who would have then referred you to an orthodontist. But while they would have noted a minor underbite, and may have suggested that you should perhaps take steps to correct it, it may not be a clinically urgent issue in terms of your dental health.
Possible Issues
Even a minor underbite may eventually begin to cause problems. The set of your jaw, and the way in which your upper and lower teeth make contact with each other, is out of alignment. This continual strain on your jaw may prove to be uncomfortable, sometimes with secondary symptoms, such as a recurring headache. While it may not affect your ability to eat or breathe, it can potentially lead to issues such as snoring or even sleep apnea.
Traditional Treatment
A prominent underbite will require fairly stringent orthodontic treatment (traditional braces are often unavoidable). Some patients may even need corrective surgery. But your own minor underbite is a different matter. You may not even need braces, or at least not the traditional kind.
Clear Aligners
You've probably heard about Invisalign braces. Also called invisible braces, these are lightweight thermoplastic aligners that fit over the entire dental arch. Each aligner tray repositions your teeth to a certain grade (up to .33 millimetres) before it's exchanged for the next in the series, which continues the process. As your Invisalign trays progressively reposition your teeth, your upper and lower jaws are brought into alignment with each other. Once this has been accomplished, your underbite is history. But so that history doesn't repeat itself, you may need to wear a retainer for certain periods after your treatment has finished.
Severe underbites will require correspondingly strong measures to reverse the condition. But when your underbite is a minor one, clear aligners are an efficient (and far less invasive) way to bring your upper and lower sets of teeth into perfect alignment.
For more information on Invisalign braces, contact a professional near you.
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