From the Greek “ortho” meaning straight and “odontos” for teeth, orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry aimed at the diagnostic, prevention and treatment of dento-facial anomalies and dental malpositions.

The technical term to describe these problems is “malocclusion”.

Practicing orthodontics requires professional aptitudes in diagnostics, treatment planning, insertion, use and control of different corrective appliances used to align teeth, lips and jaws, all contributing to dento-facial harmony.

Practically anyone with occlusal problems can benefit from orthodontics. If the tooth supporting tissues (gingiva and bone) are healthy, there are usually no contra-indications to undertake orthodontic correction.

Orthodontists are dentists who have gone on and trained additionally (or specialised) for two to three years. Teeth, and sometimes entire facial structures, are permanently changed by orthodontic treatment. It is important that the treatment be appropriate and properly completed. Orthodontic specialists have extensive and specialized training that enables them to provide their patients with professional, personalized treatments.

A dentist is similar to your family doctor — great for check-ups and filling cavities. An orthodontist is a specialist who has two to three years of additional education, and is an expert in straightening your teeth and choosing the treatment option that’s best for you.

1. Whilst having beautiful straight teeth is important, even more important is the need to alleviate any potential health problems associated with the teeth or jaw.  Crooked teeth or jaw problems may contribute to improper cleaning of teeth, leading to tooth decay and, possibly, gum disease or total tooth loss.  Orthodontic problems that go untreated can lead to chewing and digestion difficulties, speech impairments, and abnormal wear of tooth surfaces.  Over time, excessive strain on gum tissue and the bone that supports the teeth can affect the jaw joints leading to problems such as headaches or face and neck pain.

2. Self Esteem. Everyone wants a great smile, and your orthodontist is a specialist in making your smile the best it can be. Straight teeth not only look good, they also give you a good bite. A healthy smile is always in style! Hiding your teeth or not smiling makes people look at you and incorrectly assess you. Be yourself – smile when you want to.

3. You never get a second chance to make a first impression! A great smile helps you feel better and more confident. It can literally change how people see you – at work and in your personal life. With so many people competing for jobs or promotions and with everyone similarly qualified, our world is about how we present ourselves – how others see us. Be the best you can be and flash that confident smile.

The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children get an orthodontic evaluation no later than age 7.  Though orthodontic treatment can be done at any age, timely treatment ensures maximum dental health.

There is no age limit to consider orthodontics.

Even if the majority of orthodontic patients are children or adolescents, more than 25% of Canadians under orthodontic care are adults. In our practice, this proportion is even greater at about 50%.

We regularly and successfully treat patients between 40 and 70+ years of age. The oldest patient we saw started at 82!

The basic biological process allowing the teeth to move is the same for all healthy individuals, regardless of their age.

In adults, the absence of growth may make it necessary to use different treatment modalities or to have different treatment objectives than with a growing child.

Technology is constantly changing and in the past few years there have been many advances in orthodontics which are particularly suited for adults by making treatment more efficient, accessible and comfortable than ever before.

It is never too late to improve your dental condition with orthodontics.

Most people in our society can benefit from orthodontic treatment. Whether it is a crooked tooth or a bad bite, Dr. Armogan can assess your case and advise you of the benefits of treatment and the potential harm of not treating the problem. Young or old, we use many different types of appliances to fix bad bites and give you that fantastic result we are so famous for.

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Phase I or Interceptive Treatment usually starts while the child has most of their baby teeth and a few of their permanent front incisors. This stage in development is usually about the age of 7. The goal of Phase I treatment is to intercept a moderate or severe orthodontic problem early in order to reduce or eliminate it. These problems include skeletal dysplasia, cross-bites and crowding. Phase I treatment takes advantage of the early growth spurt and turns a difficult orthodontic problem into a more manageable one. This usually helps reduce the need for extractions or surgery and delivers better long term results and treatment options. Most Phase I patients require a Phase II treatment in order to achieve an ideal bite.

Phase II treatment usually occurs a number of years later. Usually we are waiting for 12-16 more permanent teeth to erupt before Phase II begins. This most commonly occurs at the age of 10 or 13. The goal of Phase II treatment is to achieve an ideal occlusion with all of the permanent teeth.

Phase I can be thought of as doing the work on the foundation of a building while Phase II is putting up the structure.

This is not recommended. If your child needs Phase I treatment this usually means that he/she has a difficult problem that requires attention now.

If no orthodontic action is taken, treatment options become limited, more difficult, and the long-term stability may be compromised.

In addition, it may lead to extractions, oral surgery, increased treatment time and increased costs.

“Malocclusion” is a technical term for crooked, crowded, mal-aligned or protruding teeth which do not fit together properly. Literally, the word is broken down as ‘mal’ for ‘bad’ and ‘occlusion’ for ‘bite’ or “bad bite.”

The term “occlusion” refers to the relationship of the teeth with one another when the jaws are closed. For a “bite” to be functional and aesthetic, not only must there be a precise arrangement between the teeth but there must be a harmonious relationship between the jaws as well.

Any deviation from this “ideal” relationship is considered a “malocclusion”. It refers to any inadequate relationship between the teeth and/or jaws.

The most common malocclusions have crooked, crowded, rotated teeth, excessive overbite, teeth that are “sticking out”, teeth that do not touch one another when biting, “scissor bites”, etc

Most malocclusions are inherited. These include crowding of teeth, too much space between teeth, extra or missing teeth, cleft palate and a variety of irregularities of the jaws and face.

Technological Advances in Travel. In the good old days, if you were born in North Germany you pretty well met and married someone from North Germany. Today, thanks to advances in technology, it is not uncommon to take a picture of a group of students and see people of all types from all places. Each region has variations in size and structure and each race/culture has its own variations. With such varied genetics we have different size and shape upper and lower jaws coming from our ancestors and presenting in our kids which leads to even more malocclusions.

People in ‘developed societies’ are eating softer foods! Generation after generation the body is evolving and compensating for this by making the jaws smaller and smaller. Unfortunately, the same number of teeth are now trying to fit into the smaller jaws! The body is trying to compensate and so we are now also seeing many people with smaller teeth (usually the lateral incisors on top which is the second tooth from the front and is sometimes ‘peg’ in shape) or missing teeth. Unfortunately, the teeth the body has chosen to eliminate don’t mesh with our sense of fashion!

No, this is very unlikely

In most people, once the first permanent molars have erupted (at around age 6-7), the available space for the anterior (front) teeth will not increase, even in the presence of growth. As a child gets older, the jaw gets longer but it has to add in additional teeth. Remember, a child has 20 teeth and an adult has 32 teeth. So, even though the parking lot is getting bigger as they grow, so many more ‘cars’ are coming to the event! As such, once you see crooked teeth in a child, it will not get better on its own.

While the jaw does get bigger in the back to let in the additional teeth in going from a child to an adult, once we turn 18 the lower jaw actually changes shape as we get older and the space will usually decrease – this is why so many older people have very crooked front teeth, especially on the lower jaw.

Studies have demonstrated that most occlusal and dental problems have a tendency to deteriorate with time if they are not treated

No, this is highly unlikely

Although growth helps the orthodontist in treating skeletal imbalances (jaw size discrepancies), growth alone will not solve the problem.

Think of it like this – your right arm and you left arm grow equally. So do your upper and lower jaws – they are supposed to keep pace with each other. If you have an overbite, the lower jaw is not suddenly going to speed up to catch up with the upper jaw. However, using orthodontic appliances during treatment allows us to optimally utilize the growth potential to try to obtain better jaw relationships.

In certain cases where the growth pattern is really unfavourable or abnormal (such as when the lower jaw bites in front of the upper jaw), any supplemental growth may in fact worsen the problem. It is therefore important that such problems be evaluated early by an orthodontist.

Treatment time will vary depending on what we are trying to accomplish but generally will be affected by:

1. Complexity
2. Age
3. Cooperation

As a general rule, children and teenagers take about six months less than adults.

Any breakage you have during treatment will significantly increase your treatment time.

Failure to comply with instructions and not wear or use accessory devices/elastics will significantly increase your treatment time.

Continuation of habits during treatment will also negatively impact on treatment time and results.