What is Orthodontics?

The alignment and fitting of the upper jaw’s teeth with the corresponding teeth of the lower jaw is called occlusion. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, the specialty of Orthodontics is also referred to as Dentofacial Orthopedics.

Orthodontics also deals with restoring the normal growth of the jaws during the period of physical and facial development in humans. For this reason, it is closely associated with children. In adults, correcting abnormal jaw development and the facial area affected by it may require surgical correction in combination with orthodontic treatment, as orthodontics alone may not provide satisfactory results.

The types of orthodontic problems include the following categories:

1. Dental problems: These relate to the position and arrangement of the teeth without affecting the underlying bone. They usually involve teeth that are crooked, spaced apart, or congenitally misaligned, but the bone supporting them remains normal.
2. Dentoalveolar problems: In this case, the disharmony involves the underlying alveolar bone, which is the part of the jaw that “holds” the teeth. These problems are more severe and complicated to treat, as they require intervention both for the teeth and the bone.
3. Skeletal problems: In this case, the bone structure of one or both jaws is responsible for the anomaly. These problems typically require combined treatment with orthodontics and, in some cases, maxillofacial/plastic surgery.

Depending on the type of problem, the treatment may be more conservative or require more invasive procedures to resolve the disharmony.