A radiant smile is part of a well-groomed and aesthetic appearance, and healthy teeth are an important component. Orthodontic treatment makes an important contribution to this.
The actual motivation for treatment in adults can be of different nature:
Purely aesthetic desire for a more beautiful tooth or jaw position.
Prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases
The removal of misaligned, rotated or tilted teeth generally facilitates oral hygiene and can therefore prevent diseases. And if an undesired tooth migration has already occurred in the periodontally damaged dentition, these tooth misalignments can be corrected orthodontically after preliminary treatment by the dentist.
Preprosthetic measures
The straightening, alignment or correction of teeth or the initiation of a gap closure by an orthodontist may be necessary prior to the actual prosthetic treatment in order to enable the dentist to carry out a sensible treatment first.
Temporomandibular joint therapy
The treatment of those tooth and jaw misalignments that cause discomfort with pain in the joint/chewing muscles or clicking noises and restricted movement of the lower jaw.
Combined Treatment of oral surgery and orthodontics
Misalignment of the jaws can lead to painful symptoms or premature tooth loss due to overloading. A combination of surgical realignment of the jaws and orthodontic correction of the teeth results in an improvement of the bite and a harmonization of the profile.
When correcting malocclusions of adult patients, it is necessary to take into account that the jaw stops growing. As a result, tooth movements not only take more time, but also require special planning when choosing braces.
However, orthodontic therapy has also become more and more important for older patients in recent years, because near-invisible braces are now available in the form of splint therapy and lingual technology.
Brackets / fixed appliances
Brackets are mass-produced small locks with slots that are glued to the teeth. A wire is pulled through the slots and then attached with small wires or rubber rings.
This wire causes the desired movement. To create space in the dentition for the tooth movement or to add to the force of the bracket braces, additional elastics, transpalatal arches, orthodontic mini-implants or palatal expansion appliances may be necessary.
Brackets and archwires are available in different materials and colors.
The duration of treatment depends on the need for correction; usually it is between 24 and 36 months.
With brackets, it is generally important to take extra time for oral hygiene.
The brackets are made of silver metal. They transfer the forces to the teeth very safely, are easy to remove and are less expensive.
We at Zahnspange-Mitte use very small brackets as a standard, on which the glue is already applied very thinly and is only hardened with light. This way there is no plastic residue around the bracket for plaque to adhere to.
Their only disadvantage is that they are visually more conspicuous.
The brackets are tooth-colored, only the archwires are made of metal. They are therefore visually less conspicuous.
However, the disadvantages of ceramic brackets are that they are more susceptible to repair during treatment and often need to be replaced, and that they can damage neighboring teeth if they come into contact with them.
Treatment with ceramic brackets is more expensive.
In the lingual technique, metal brackets are glued to the inner surface of the teeth and moved with the help of metal arches - this makes the brackets invisible from the outside and the treatment practically invisible.
The brackets are made individually for each patient and the wires are specifically shaped by a mini-robot. This customized treatment is supported by digital techniques and achieves the treatment result with very high accuracy.
However, the treatment with lingual technique is much more expensive.
Invisalign® therapy consists of a series of individually manufactured, highly precise plastic braces (aligners), which, due to their clear design, remain almost invisible and therefore inconspicuous.
The delicate design means a very short adaptation period, so your pronunciation is not affected and, unlike a fixed appliance with brackets and wires, you can remove the aligner to eat or take care of your teeth.
The desired treatment result is simulated using the latest computer technology: then we orthodontists plan the intermediate steps to gently move teeth into the desired position. Tooth misalignments are thus gently and comfortably corrected.
Depending on the degree of difficulty, the patient receives 12-50 aligners and after every two weeks of wearing the patient changes the splint, which should be worn for about 20 hours a day.
The Invisalign® splint therapy has a very wide range of indications and in the braces center we can decide whether this treatment method would be the right one in your case.
Treatment with Invisalign braces is paid only by private health insurance companies.
Unfortunately, the corrected teeth have a lifelong tendency to return to their original position. That is why every patient needs a retainer after the completion of orthodontic treatment.
We recommend fixing a thin wire on the inside of the front tooth, a retainer and additionally wearing a removable brace at night to secure the position of the side teeth as well.
To ensure optimal and effective treatment, a consultative preliminary discussion and a comprehensive assessment of the patient's condition is a prerequisite.
A suitable and individually tailored course of treatment can only be determined for you after an exact diagnosis has been made and your individual wishes have been expressed. The necessary means of treatment and their costs will be arranged especially for you.