engchingmah

Many patients live with gaps between their teeth due to missing teeth. Sometimes, the gaps are too small for placing a false tooth. Braces can close these gaps and change your facial profile, which can eliminate the need for prosthetic replacements

😁

Many patients come for a second opinion because their treatment isn't progressing well or the results aren't satisfactory. In many cases, this is due to an incorrect treatment plan. Remember, a wrong plan leads nowhere. In braces treatment, having the right plan is crucial.

This patient sought a second opinion because the gap from his extraction hadn't closed after many years, and his doctor suggested placing an implant for replacement. We decided to extract three more teeth to improve his centerline, bite, and facial profile.

The right plan leads to good results!
😁

When it comes to orthodontic treatment, if there is crowding and extraction of middle teeth is not an option due to patient refusal, we can utilize the space provided by wisdom teeth. This can be achieved through total arch distalization using miniscrews.

😁

Traditionally, protruding lips and a gummy smile could be corrected with orthognathic surgery. Now, with the addition of miniscrews, our capabilities have expanded, allowing us to achieve even more comprehensive results.

😁

A transposed tooth means that teeth are aligned in a reverse sequence. The easier option is to accept this alignment. However, if you wish to correct it, be aware that it might take double the treatment time. Correcting it with braces is difficult and requires a lot of patience. In some cases, we might need to use miniscrews to assist with the treatment mechanics.

Adult braces treatment is always challenging because certain teeth may need to be extracted early, which can complicate the treatment plan.

In this particular case, the patient had both lower first molars extracted due to cavities. As a result, we moved the lower second molar and third molar forward to close the gaps.

😁

A scissor bite occurs when your teeth bite in a way that resembles scissors, impacting both chewing efficiency and potentially damaging opposing teeth. Traditionally, correcting a scissor bite required jaw surgery or, in some cases, removing teeth and using prosthetics. However, modern orthodontic techniques now allow us to correct scissor bites using braces alone, aided by miniscrews.

Many patients believe that self-ligating braces possess magical properties, but the truth is, the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment hinges more on the skill of the dentist rather than the type of braces used.

For instance, this patient who wore self-ligating braces for several years found themselves unable to bite properly, experiencing persistent pain on the left side due to a scissor bite. Upon transferring to our clinic, we invested a considerable amount of time rectifying the issue.

It's important to remember that when a case goes awry, it often requires double the effort to correct, and in some instances, the damage may be irreversible. What's done is done, but it underscores the importance of choosing an good Doctor over fixating on the type of braces.

Jaw discrepancies can indeed result from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors such as facial trauma or habits like thumb sucking. When the jaw discrepancy is severe, orthognathic surgery is often the most effective solution to achieve optimal results.

In many cases, a multi-step approach is necessary for comprehensive treatment. Starting with braces to align the teeth can create a more stable foundation for the jaw surgery. By straightening the teeth first, it can make the surgical correction more precise and stable in the long term.

Orthognathic surgery can involve repositioning the upper jaw (maxilla), lower jaw (mandible), or both to correct the jaw size and position discrepancies.

َ

Absolutely! Early intervention for certain bite issues, like cross bites or scissor bites, can indeed help redirect the growth of the jaw in the right direction.
Functional shifts when closing the mouth can indicate underlying issues that might benefit from correction. Consulting a dentist or orthodontist for guidance on early correction is crucial to ensure proper jaw development and bite alignment.
While braces themselves don't directly change the jaw, they can be part of a treatment plan aimed at guiding jaw growth and correcting bite issues when appropriate.

Transposed teeth, also known as dental transposition, indeed refer to a condition where the positions of teeth are switched or reversed.
It's often a challenging dental issue to correct due to the complexities involved in repositioning the teeth properly. Treatment typically involves orthodontic intervention, which can indeed be time-consuming.

😁

Retainers always accompany braces! After braces treatment, patients need to wear a retainer for life to maintain their results. Without a retainer, teeth will shift over time, potentially requiring a second or even third round of braces.

In this case, the patient did not wear the retainer as advised, and their teeth shifted, necessitating a second round of braces for another 1.5 years.

Don't waste your money and time—make sure to wear your retainer diligently.

It is common for patients to believe that if their initial treatment does not yield positive results, they can always turn to a specialist for a rescue or a second treatment. However, this can be a very dangerous assumption to make.

In some cases, regardless of what is done, there may be limitations to how much a specialist can help, and the patient may have to accept a compromised outcome.

😁

If you extracted a tooth , it's better to replace it fast. If you left it for too long, the tooth will over erupt and making the replacement difficult.

Braces can correct the over-eruption and and prepare perfect space for implant placement later

😁

Many patients come to our clinic for second opinion as their case not progressing. This patient came to us as space not closing after many years. This is due to wrong mechanics or wrong plan.

😁

For braces treatment , we usually extract 4 teeth most of the time,, but this is not always true , sometime we only need to extract 2 upper or 2 lower teeth , depending on the situation.
😁

If you have a tooth not erupting due to previous trauma or sport injury , please see a dentist immediately .

When it's still early stage, braces can align it eneventful . However, if you leave it for too long , it might stuck forever in the gum.

😁

Many patients come with missing teeth and request replacement with multiple units bridge or implant or even denture.

Braces can close the gaps or redistribute the space, it might save you money for implant or bridge!

😁

There is no magic in braces, all treatment base on proper planning.

To align teeth , we need spaces, simple rules are:
1. mild to moderate crowding, expansion or interproximal reduction
2. severe crowding, teeth extraction needed

😁

Severe jaw discrepancy for adult might need jaw surgery to achieve a better treatment outcome. When patient still young , we can try to reduce the severity using facemask, However, this might not be stable as patient still growing.

Reverse bite can be less effective in chewing and cutting food. Braces plus miniscrew can solve it without teeth extraction.

😁

Usually we start braces about 12 year old the earliest. However we might start early or intercept early , so that we can reduce the complexity of future treatment or we might able to avoid future braces treatment!

We need space to move teeth , especially when it come to severe midlines discrepancy, but with the help of miniscrews , we might be able to do it wihtout extraction.

😁

When it come to severe jaws discrepancy , orthognathic surgery might be better option to solve it, remember braces cannot change your jaw, only surgery can shorten and lenghten your jaw.

😁

Orthognathic surgery used to be the only way to solve gummy smile. Nowadays ,with miniscrews and gum surgery , we can achieve similar result.

😁 ̇le

Cleft palate repair can cause constriction of upper jaw due to scar tissue forming, severe crowding is common. Braces can align the teeth by expanding the upper jaw and regain the jaw width.

😁

Wisdom tooth can useful and replacement for the poor prognosis/missing molar. Braces can close the extraction gap and make the wisdom tooth functional.

😁

Second time treatment always not easier than the first time, due to extraction was done and space was closed.

This patient was extracted one tooth on left side and missing lower central incisor. Upper midline was severely off off to left due to missing tooth.

😁

Braces treatment usually start at 12 year old, occasionally some cases need to start early (early intervention) due to crowding causing impacted tooth.

This kind of cases usually divided into 2 phases of treatment. First phase to settle the immediate concern, followed by second phase to tidy up all teeth if necessary.

😁