1.What is orthodontics? Orthodontics in common parlance is the alignment of uneven teeth. However, for professional orthodontists, the orthodontic treatment goals are aesthetics, health, function and stability. Aesthetics means straightening disordered teeth to improve your facial appearance and give you a beautiful smile. Health is to keep your teeth and gums and other periodontal tissues healthy through orthodontic treatment, as well as to enhance your self-confidence and keep you mentally healthy. Function, means that orthodontic treatment improves your chewing function so that you can eat when you want. Stability, means to keep the results of orthodontic treatment and avoid relapse. 2.Who can undergo orthodontic treatment? Both children and adults can undergo orthodontic treatment. Theoretically, there is no age limit for orthodontic tooth movement, which means that people of any age can receive orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment not only gives you an attractive smile, but also prevents gum recession, bleeding, loose teeth, premature loss and other diseases. Because the disorder of tooth alignment is an important cause of these diseases. 3.When should I undergo orthodontic treatment? The optimal age for orthodontic treatment varies for different types of malocclusion. For patients who have or will lead to serious skeletal deformities of the face, such as ” encephalitis”, severe protrusion of upper teeth and bad habits such as lip biting and finger sucking, they should be corrected as early as possible. For general misalignment of teeth, it is better to wait until the permanent teeth stage after all the replacement of milk teeth is completed (about 12 years old) before orthodontic treatment. The main purpose of orthodontic treatment for adults is to solve aesthetic problems while improving overall oral health conditions. There is never a time limit to having an attractive, confident smile. 4.How long does orthodontic treatment take? The general expected orthodontic treatment course is about 2 years. However, the degree of deformity varies from patient to patient, so does the amount of time spent on treatment. As long as you cooperate well with the orthodontist, keep the oral hygiene and protect the aligners from damage, the time of orthodontic treatment will be greatly shortened. 5.What do I have to do at the orthodontist’s office for the first time? The first time you visit the orthodontist you can ask any questions you want to know. The doctor will give you a detailed clinical examination, then draw up a general treatment plan, estimate the course of treatment and the cost required. If both the doctor and patient agree that treatment is necessary, the doctor will take impressions of your teeth and allow you to take the necessary photographs and x-rays. Finally, the orthodontist will make an appointment for your next follow-up appointment. (Remember to be on time for your follow-up appointment!) 6.Does orthodontic treatment hurt? Modern orthodontic treatment has adopted many methods to make orthodontic patients feel more comfortable. These methods include: making the brackets smaller and smoother; improving the orthodontic treatment archwire so that it can produce a continuous, gentle orthodontic force. There is usually a 2-3 day period of discomfort after each follow-up visit and archwire loading. However, there is no need to take any analgesic at all. 7.Will orthodontic treatment hurt my bones? No, it will not. The “tooth moving” done by the orthodontist after professional training is to apply gentle and continuous mechanical force to make the teeth move slowly and physiologically in the alveolar bone, and the rate of tooth movement is about 1mm/month. Therefore, there is no damage to the teeth or bone. However, it cannot be excluded that there are unfortunate patients whose teeth and periodontal tissues are damaged in the “masterpieces” done by untrained ancestral dentists or general dentists. 8.Who is an orthodontist? Since orthodontics is a highly specialized job, an orthodontist is a specialist. He must first be an oral surgeon, and then go through 2 to 3 years of professional theoretical and technical training to become an orthodontist. The Orthodontic Specialty Committee of the Chinese Dental Association has made clear provisions for this. Therefore, it is recommended that you must go to the orthodontic department of the dental specialist hospital.