I often meet patients and friends consulting orthodontic issues, but he / they for “wear braces to correct teeth” generally have a lot of bias or misunderstanding, therefore, the patient should know before receiving treatment, to give a more detailed introduction, hoping to reach a good communication between the doctor and the patient, the successful completion of orthodontic treatment together We hope to provide some help for good communication between doctors and patients and successful completion of orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontics is a technically complex and long treatment program, and the final result is not only closely related to the severity of the deformity itself, the technical level of the doctor and the materials used, but also to the cooperation of the patient, so it is necessary to let the patient know the following orthodontic related matters.
Orthodontic treatment and objectives
Misalignment and malocclusion are called malocclusion. Orthodontic treatment is to correct the malocclusion, align the teeth, improve the bite, and achieve the goal of beauty, balance and stability. However, the effect of orthodontic treatment alone may be unstable in some patients with malocclusion with abnormal jaw development, and orthopedic surgery is recommended for a few severe cases.
Age of treatment
Treatment is usually started at the beginning of the patient’s permanent dentition (about 11-12 years old), but for malocclusion with abnormal jawbone development or that interferes with normal jaw and facial development, early treatment is often advocated to simplify the process of later orthodontic treatment or to reduce the difficulty of treatment. There is no age limit for adult orthodontics because the alveolar bone is active for lifelong reconstruction.
Treatment cycle
Orthodontics is the physical and mechanical adjustment of abnormal teeth, jaws and face, and the effect is produced by biological alteration of tissues (such as bone resorption and proliferation), so the treatment period is longer. The treatment of milk dentition is less than six months; the treatment of replacement dentition takes about 1 year, and some of them need to follow up the treatment of permanent dentition; the treatment of permanent dentition routinely takes 1-2 years, and more time is needed for difficult cases. Factors affecting the treatment period include the complexity of the malocclusion, the reactivity of the tissue, the age, the patient’s cooperation, etc. The treatment period estimated by the physician is for reference only. Patients are advised to take into account their schooling, job search, and relocation before treatment so as not to compromise the effectiveness of treatment by changing treatment sites.
Treatment cost
Orthodontic treatment is an investment in the patient’s health and beauty. The cost of treatment varies with each patient’s age, degree of deformity, type of aligner, and level of cooperation, so please consult with your treating doctor about fees prior to treatment. Additional fees are generally required for special treatment requiring additional accessories or for patient’s artificially damaged replacement parts.
Pre-orthodontic treatment
Before the formal orthodontic treatment, if the patient has other oral diseases such as caries, periapical infection, periodontitis, or dental defects, the relevant treatment should be completed before orthodontic treatment.
The problem of tooth extraction
Despite the reluctance of patients and doctors to extract teeth, there are still about 30-40% of malocclusions that must be corrected by tooth extraction. Their main effect is to decongest the teeth and improve the bite and facial aesthetics. Proper orthodontic extraction will not cause tooth loosening or sequelae. Please consult your oral surgeon for specific risks and precautions for tooth extraction.
Pain Problems
Mild pain or discomfort in the teeth, mild loosening of the teeth and mild ulceration of the oral mucosa may occur after the initial orthodontic appliance and after each follow-up visit with force, which usually reduces or disappears after 3-5 days. If the pain persists or even worsens, or if other conditions arise, please contact your physician promptly or return to the clinic in advance. Do not move or adjust the wires on the aligners by yourself to prevent tooth loosening and pulp necrosis that may affect the treatment.
Diet
No hard and sticky food should be chewed during orthodontic treatment. Large pieces of food and harder fruits need to be cut into small pieces and eaten, otherwise they will cause the aligners to loosen or fall off and prolong the course of treatment. If you find that the band ring loosens, brackets fall off, or the arch wire breaks and affects the oral function, you should contact your doctor in time to determine if you need to come to the hospital for treatment.
Oral hygiene
Special attention should be paid to oral hygiene during treatment. Proper brushing will not damage the aligners. You need to brush your teeth more times a day, and brush the soft scale and retained food residue on your teeth carefully after eating and before the follow-up appointment, otherwise it may cause gingivitis, periodontitis, tooth decalcification, dental caries, etc. Patients with severe periodontal disease may even have loose teeth and fall off during the treatment process, affecting the treatment process. If the oral hygiene is not well maintained, the doctor has the right to consider terminating the treatment.
Follow up on time
Usually 1-2 times/month for movable aligners and 1 time/month for fixed aligners. Failure to follow up on time may result in a longer course of treatment or even loss of control over the orthodontic teeth, which may result in abnormal tooth displacement or no progress in treatment. Failure to attend follow-up appointments for more than 3 months will be considered as an automatic abandonment of treatment and the fees paid will not be refunded. If you request to continue treatment you will be registered as a first-time patient and charged.
Implantation of branch resistance
Due to the complexity of the condition of some patients, it is difficult to achieve the effect of branch resistance control by traditional means during the treatment process, so implantation of branch resistance can be considered. Before implantation, the patient should cooperate with the relevant examination; after implantation, the patient should strictly follow the doctor’s instructions and maintain oral hygiene to avoid the occurrence of peri-implantitis, which may lead to implant loss. This part is a special item that needs to be paid separately.
Joint problems
Regular orthodontic treatment does not cause temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Temporomandibular joint problems caused by malocclusion may have remission or be completely eliminated with treatment. Orthodontic treatment may not work for patients who had TMJ problems prior to treatment and were not caused by malocclusion. The treating physician should be consulted about possible problems and precautions in treatment.
Efficacy issues
Although the vast majority of people come in for aesthetic reasons and most orthodontic treatments can improve the patient’s appearance appropriately, orthodontic treatment is not plastic surgery and can only perform tooth movement and alveolar bone remodeling; there may be no significant change in bone and facial shape. The orthodontist’s design takes into account all factors and may not meet all of your requirements or special preferences, but we will do our best to provide you with the best possible treatment outcome. Some patients may experience changes in facial appearance as they age or as a result of their own poor growth pattern, which may affect the effectiveness of the original orthodontic treatment and, in rare cases, may even result in a more pronounced relapse.
Precautions
The following matters during orthodontic treatment may bring some accidents to patients.
1, Some teeth are not aware of early impact or occlusal trauma, resulting in chronic pulpal necrosis.
2.There may be different degrees of root resorption that is beyond the doctor’s control.
3, Individual patients’ teeth may also be unable to move due to the presence of hard-to-detect adhesions, making it impossible to complete treatment as scheduled.
4.Food embedding may exist during and after the orthodontic treatment.
5. Patients who need to use extra-oral assistive devices must wear them for the full time specified by the physician each day and use them as prescribed to avoid accidental damage to the teeth and facial tissues and organs.
Maintenance issues
After the completion of orthodontic treatment, patients are required to wear retainers to prevent relapse. Retainers need to be worn all day for at least 1 year, and then gradually reduced after 1 year until the teeth are basically stable. A small number of patients require longer or even lifelong retention. Patients with relapse of malocclusion due to inadequate retention or abnormal growth and development can only be re-orthodontically treated and a fee may be charged at the discretion of the patient depending on the relapse.
Orthodontic Information
The patient’s medical records, dental models, photographs, and x-rays are important reference materials for the hospital to diagnose, design, control the treatment process, and observe the trend of recurrence, and are generally kept for use by the hospital. In order to develop the medical career, physicians may use these materials for teaching and scientific research, including the publication of papers and monographs, while respecting the patient’s privacy.