About Orthodontics

Proper chewing and swallowing, being comfortable when eating, proper breathing, correct speech and looking aesthetically pleasing are only a few of the things that orthodontics, a branch of dentistry, is concerned about.

Orthodontics involves the proper arrangement of the position of the teeth either for functionality or aesthetic purposes (such as braces, root canal therapy and other various dental treatments available). There is nothing more satisfactory than showing off that beautiful smile. A regular visit to your orthodontics and taking proper care of your teeth are needed to be done in order to achieve this. But of course, there are certain issues that we have to deal with in order to make our teeth to look good. One of which is financial. I do have braces and my mother spent P25,000.00 for it (up and down). The cost of my braces is in fact cheap since in other dental clinics, prices can sky rocket up to P60,000.00 and above (especially those dental clinics where the celebrities go).

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Why do people laugh when they see braces on my teeth? On the other hand, why are some envious of me? What is the real significance of having braces? These are in fact some of the questions teenagers who have braces on their teeth ask.

Having braces on one’s teeth can in fact attract taunts from people. Some do make fun of those “metal-mouthed geeks”, but you don’t really have to worry about anything; most of them do not know the real significance of those metal bands in your mouth. You just have to wait for the right time when your braces will be pulled out by your dentist, and watch the reactions of the people who used to mock you. Perhaps they will be embarrassed with all the taunts that they did. Some people are envious, why? Because they know that after your braces are removed, you’ll be able to have that mega-watt smile everyone is dreaming of.

But of course, braces do have disadvantages. One of which is that, you have to be really tolerant of the pain it will cause especially on the first day. Watch out!

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Good looking, gorgeous, elegant, handsome, attractive and stunning—these words are basically synonymous to each other, and is mostly associated with the person’s face. “Face value” is in fact important for various purposes such as the social aspect of one’s life. Having a beautiful face can boost one’s morale, making the person confident when facing others. The teeth are a part of this external façade, so we should take care of it for us to achieve that gorgeous looking face.

Braces are in fact one of the most effective ways of straightening those crooked teeth. By having braces, your teeth can be aligned for you to have aesthetically pleasing smile. I currently have braces on my lower teeth and retainers on my upper teeth. I was very excited when my mom asked me to go to the dental clinic to get myself braces because I know for the fact that my physical appearance will greatly improve. Braces will take a year or two for it to fix your crooked teeth (depending on the damage). But after the treatment, your braces can be removed and voila! A perfect smile emerges.

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Have you ever experienced opening your mouth for an hour or so in a dental clinic? How does it feel? Tiring? Why do we have to suffer to make our teeth hale and hearty or make it look aesthetically pleasing?

As the saying goes, all the suffering we experience can reap positive results in the end (short-term or long-term, it doesn’t matter).

Root canal therapy, braces and other dental procedures can sometimes last for more than two hours. Imagine yourself sitting on the reclining dental chair and opening your mouth for that long. Tiring isn’t it? Putting braces on one’s teeth is also not a “one-stop” process. You have to have your teeth X-rayed first and having braces requires you to go back to your dentist over and over again for further check-ups. It may require you an hour of opening your mouth for the braces to be put on your teeth.

Root canal therapy on the other hand has a different process. It requires you to be doubly patient since the procedure normally lasts for two hours or more

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For those who are in college, what courses are you taking up? Dentistry? Perhaps Tourism? Or maybe Broadcasting or Mass Communications? Do you wish to be seen in print advertisements or on the television? Then I will tell you the secret of famous people such as Tom Cruise, Marilyn Monroe and others: their perfect, beautiful teeth.

I know that you are conscious of your smile because your teeth are crooked or a tooth is missing. Dentists have not failed to remind people to take care of their teeth and gums. If you are in Tourism for example, you are the front-liner of the country (or any place for that matter) you are representing. They require people to be aesthetically good looking, paired with perfect white smiles to attract others tourists.

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Dental retainer is a part of your dental needs. It is the thing that is placed in your mouth right after you’ve had your braces removed. As far as I know, there are two kinds of retainers: the more common Hawley retainer (which has visible wires) and the invisible retainer (transparent and has no wires).

The invisible retainer is made to hold your teeth in place (a continuous dental process after the braces). It is in fact much more expensive than the ordinary Hawley retainer for the reason that it has no wires on it.

I do have this kind of retainer and the fit is so comfortable. It does not have the annoying hard plastic (for holding the wires into place) that sticks to the hard palate. As far as I know, this is the type of braces celebrities use, and that is the reason why no dangling wires can be seen when they smile in front of the camera.

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You cannot hush children from crying if they have a toothache. Extraction is best solution for the toothache to go away. Most children and teenagers have developed dental anxiety, that is, the fear of going to the dentist, because they have experienced painful extractions before. However, there is another way of getting that decayed tooth out.

Root canal therapy (RCT) is a treatment that is rather less painful compared to the traditional way of extracting teeth. Orthodontists target the nerves of the tooth right away before the treatment, so that the tooth/gums will lose its sensation. The decaying tooth will not be extracted but will be hollowed, filled with endofile and capped with a crown.

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Do you care for your teeth? Do you mind its condition? How about making the question simpler: Do you brush your teeth regularly? If not, better go to your dentist ASAP to have your teeth checked. Cavities might be lurking in between your teeth. Experts advice everyone to brush their teeth twice a day, floss and gargle mouthwash after.

Almost all toothpastes, mouthwash and floss contain fluoride to help prevent tooth decay. Brushing one’s teeth is the most basic fluoride therapy. Other methods include the use of gel or foam, varnish and other various dietary fluoride supplements available in the market.

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