What are the benefits of Orthodontics?
A beautiful smile is the most obvious benefit of orthodontics. However, alleviating and preventing physical health problems is just as important.
Our orthodontic specialists not only look at your teeth, but also the entire face, jaws, muscles, and joints and their relationship to each other. An imbalance in any one component can lead to unstable results and even more complicated problems.
Common reasons to consider Orthodontics
- Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain, which could lead to cavities.
- A bad bite or malocclusion causing teeth to fit incorrectly can cause excessive stress on gum tissue and bone that support the teeth.
- An abnormal bite relation can contribute to speech impairments, chipping or wearing of teeth.
- Abnormal growth of jaws can affect facial appearance, cause mouth breathing and sleep disturbances.
- Abnormal growth of jaws can affect facial appearance, cause mouth breathing and sleep disturbances.
- Misalignment of the jaws can create an inefficient chewing system and muscular imbalances.
- Muscular imbalances and jaw joint problems can cause headaches and neck pains.
- Thumb or finger sucking habits may be difficult to eliminate, which can lead to Myofunctional Disorders
Our office strives to meet and exceed all of the expectations you may have for your orthodontic experience. We look forward to welcoming you into our orthodontic family.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy.
Does your child have a tongue thrusting habit?
Prevent potentially serious issues with our specially designed program
helping to restore proper use of the tongue and facial muscles.
Align Orthodontics developed this program to help patients restore proper function of the tongue and facial muscles used at rest, for chewing and for swallowing.
Correct swallowing depends on a proper relationship between muscles of the face, mouth and throat. The act of swallowing is one function that depends on the body’s vital balance. To swallow properly, muscles and nerves in the tongue, cheeks and throat must work together in harmony.
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD) is often commonly referred to as “tongue thrust” because the tongue functions against or between the front or side teeth during swallowing rather than lifting up into the palate (roof of the mouth). Almost all infants swallow this way. By 6 years of age, most children automatically change to a “normal” and more efficient swallowing pattern that involves pushing the tip of the tongue against the roof the mouth. If this does not happen abnormal pressure is placed on the teeth and jaws, which can cause dental malocclusions, improper bite relationship, or abnormal jaw development.