– Dr. Tanvir Singh –
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the mouth and related structures and tissues, particularly in the jaw and facial area. To meet the ever increasing demands of the dental problems dentistry now possesses 7 speciality branches amongst them one is orthodontics. Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the correction of malocclusion and also provides the preventive treatment that can decrease the need of orthodontic treatment. People requiring orthodontic treatment means they have malocclusion. The malocclusion can be defined as an occlusion in which there is a malrelationship between the arches in any of the planes or in which there are anomalies in tooth position beyond the normal limits. The malocclusion effects oral health, increases prevalence of dental caries and can cause temporoman dibular joint disorders.
Good dental appearance makes people confident and people presumed that it is a step towards success . Because of this fact, demand of orthodontic treatment is increasing. The concept of using braces dates back to hundered years ago but now there are advances in braces however the mechanisim remains the same. There are number of studies done to assess the need of orthodontic treatment by Col Prassanna and in one of his studies which was done on school chidren ,he concluded that 53.7% had malocclusion and were in a need of orthodontic treatment.
keeping this in mind dentem also conducted a pilot study in a school where 500 students were randomly selected and more than 400 children required orthodontic treatment. Another important point in the study was to cater to the needs of 400 children there was only 1 orthodontists within that region. Therefore, the data clearly shows that number of orthodontists required are more to serve to the needs of the patient.
Modern orthodontic practices have grown largely over the last 20 years reducing the procedures of tooth extractions,,
For orthodontic practitioners and following and updating themselves with the latest technology can help you deliver an enhanced level of treatment and amazing results. There are no substitution for the skilled, experienced, and well-trained orthodontic practitioner. The improvements in tools and techniques enable orthodontists to achieve great results with far less discomfort and in a much shorter treatment time than was ever before possible. Ortho treatment needs to consider not only the severity of malocclusion traits, but also age group and dentition period of the children to be treated . This way, treatment initiated early on during the late mixed dentition or at the beginning of the permanent dentition can avoid further damage to the latter .
The most important changes in the orthodontic industry is self ligating wires that affects tooth movement. Conventional twin brackets use elastic ligatures or steel wire ties to apply pressure to the bracket and move the tooth into place with the arch wire’s guidance. This system of traditional or active ligation results in significant friction between the wire and the bracket, requiring heavier forces to move the teeth. This often results in significant patient discomfort and slower treatment time.
Unlike traditional ligating systems, new passive self-ligating brackets use a slide mechanism that opens to allow the provider to place the wire inside and then close it, creating a slot where the wire is free to glide inside. This approach not only reduces friction and pressure, but also results in more effective forces that make treatment more comfortable for the patient. This new approach also yields much more impressive results .
The latest improvement in the orthodontic treatment is introduction of clear brackets which has attracted the attention of many patients who want to improve their smile but who would prefer to avoid the metal-mouth look of braces.
Inspite of the growing needs of orthodontic treatment required number of skilled orthodontists who are able to practice modern orthodontics are very few.
Field of orthodontists is in a fast growing branch incorporation modern techniques to decrease the discomfort and at the same time provide best results in less time which helps people to achieve the best smile that one can have.
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About the Author
Dr. Tanvir Singh
Author & Consultant Orthodontist
Dr. Tanvir Singh, Consultant Orthodontist & Director at Dentem
Dr. Tanvir Singh, B.D.S., M.D.S. (Ortho), is a practicing orthodontist since last 15 yrs. He started his career with max health care in 2000 and was the first one to set up the orthodontic department for max. Dr. Tanvir has been into academics since last 13 yrs and is currently vice principal in a dental college and has numerous research publications in various Indian and international journals. He has been internal and external examiner in orthodontics for various universities.
Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of INVC NEWS.
