So Many Ways to Brighten Your Smile
At Rice Orthodontics, we provide the latest treatments using advanced technology and tools to ensure a customized, comfortable process from the moment you step through the door.
With so many state-of-the-art choices, you’re sure to find your way to a brighter smile! Check out a list of some of our treatments below.
Common Reasons for Braces
People around Jacksonville commonly choose braces for cosmetic reasons. However, braces can also be critical to prevent health issues caused by misaligned teeth.
Below are some of the most common reasons for braces and how Dr. Rice uses braces and clear aligners to correct the problem.
Crowded Teeth
Crowded teeth are a common issue Dr. Rice often sees in both children and adults. Crowded teeth is simply a condition in which the patient has too many teeth, or the teeth are too large for the jaw size.
Overcrowding leads to crooked teeth, generally jammed together, as growing teeth are forced out of alignment. It can result in a less than perfect smile, and can escalate problems with dental health and subsequent need for dental treatments such as fillings or root canals.
Braces can effectively treat most crowded teeth conditions and are often used in conjunction with teeth extraction procedures, and in children, palate expanders.
Spacing
Excessive spacing between teeth can result when teeth are abnormally small or the jaw is unusually large. Prominent, or missing teeth can produce gaps between teeth. The most common spacing dental issue is a gap between the two front teeth on the upper jaw.
Spacing increases the likelihood of periodontal disease as the gums are unprotected, and typically gaps, between the teeth, prevent the teeth from operating correctly.
Technology offers a variety of solutions for spacing issues, but often gaps can be closed with braces or spaces opened, allowing teeth replacement options.
Overbite & Crossbite
For proper alignment and closure, the teeth in the upper jaw should slightly overlap the lower jaw, allowing the upper molars to fall into the center grooves of the lower molars when biting down.
An overbite occurs when the upper jaw overlaps the lower jaw, affecting the proper closure of the teeth.
A crossbite ensues when the alignment is reversed and the teeth in the lower jaw overlap the teeth in the upper jaw. Anterior crossbites occur when the overlap involves the front of the mouth, and posterior crossbite refers to teeth overlapping on the sides of the mouth.
All types of misaligned teeth contribute to a variety of moderate to severe health problems, including headaches and earaches, chewing and biting difficulties, speech problems, and sometimes painful jaw joint pain.
Overbites and anterior and posterior crossbites can be amended, at any age, with braces.
Early diagnosis is most useful as children’s jaws are still developing and teeth can be repositioned through jaw expansion techniques.