Common Orthodontic Issues

Crowding

This patient started treatment at age 11 and wore braces for 26 months, and he loves his new smile.

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Open bite - Front teeth do not touch

This patient sucked her thumb as a young child. She started treatment at age 13. She had braces and a special appliance — called a crib — to eliminate the habit, for 28 months. Now she can easily eat things that she could not before (like a sandwich).

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Deep overbite - Lower front teeth bite into palate

This adult patient, age 25, required braces and jaw surgery to correct his severe overbite, with treatment taking two years. His problem could possibly have been corrected without surgery if he had been treated while he was still growing.

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Missing lateral incisors

This patient's lateral incisors were congenitally missing. She had braces for 20 months to move the teeth into their correct positions, then the missing teeth were replaced with bonded "Maryland" bridges.

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Underbite - Lower front teeth in front of upper teeth

This adult patient's underbite was causing her jaw joint discomfort and excessive wear patterns on her teeth. After about 30 months of treatment starting at age 32, she now finds smiling and chewing much easier.

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Spacing of teeth

This patient was bothered by the spaces between his teeth. Braces closed the spaces and gave him an ideal bite in 24 months. Bonded retainers help keep the spaces closed.

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Overjet - Protruding front teeth

At age ten, this patient had a significant overjet with the top teeth protruding beyond the bottom. She had two phases of treatment. The first helped her jaws to grow more harmoniously and the second aligned her teeth and bite. At age 13, she was proudly displaying her new smile.

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Non-braces treatment

Sometimes braces are not needed to get noticeable improvements in tooth alignment. This patient was first seen at age seven for crowding of the lower permanent teeth. A procedure was performed to reduce the width of the adjacent baby teeth and the permanent incisors aligned on their own in nine months.

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Interceptive Orthodontics - Phase I

This patient's parents were concerned about both esthetics and the health of the erupting permanent teeth when they brought him to the orthodontist at age eight. The lower front teeth were crowded and touching the palate, and the upper front teeth were extremely displaced from their normal positions. After 12 months of interceptive (phase I) treatment with an expander and partial braces, patient's appearance and dental function were vastly improved.

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Braces are Far More Attractive than Crooked Teeth

Braces are Far More Attractive Than Crooked Teeth from AAO on Vimeo.