Treatment applications related to the correction of crowded teeth and the elimination of incompatibilities in the teeth, jaw, and face are performed.

Orthodontic treatments performed by orthodontists (orthodontic specialists) ensure that the jawbone and teeth are placed in the correct place and position. Correction of crowding not only provides an important aesthetic gain but also contributes to oral and dental health. Why orthodontics? It is generally more challenging to maintain good oral hygiene with crowded teeth, which makes it easier to develop gum disease and cavities. In case of crowding and impaired joint connection, chewing cannot be done properly, and certain digestive system problems arise. In cases where the upper and lower teeth are not fully compatible with each other, the jaw joint or a single tooth may be overloaded, leading to painful and difficult-to-treat problems. Amazing transformations can be achieved aesthetically, especially in some cases. What are orthodontic treatments? Fixed Orthodontic Appliances Removable Orthodontic Appliances • Habit-breaking appliances • Screwed Appliances • Functional Appliances • Transparent aligners Maxillofacial Orthopedics Orthognathic Surgery Fixed Orthodontic Appliances Fixed appliances consist of small metal and ceramic brackets that are bonded to your teeth. The teeth move through orthodontic wires placed between these brackets. These wires are flexible at first and gradually become harder and thicker throughout the treatment process. Ceramic Brackets Metal Brackets Current Approaches Lingual (Invisible, worn by the tongue) Braces; Lingual brackets are not noticeable because they are bonded to the back surfaces of your teeth, but they can irritate your tongue because they are located at the back. However, newly produced high-tech brackets have eliminated this problem and increased patient comfort to a very good level. These braces are slightly more costly than other bracket types, but they are aesthetically very advantageous. Lingual (Invisible) Braces: Will this treatment cause discomfort? Although it is not very common, especially at the beginning of treatment, braces may cause discomfort in the mouth and pain in the teeth. A soft diet and painkillers (except aspirin) are recommended, especially after the replacement of the braces. How long will I wear the braces? Orthodontic treatment lasts approximately 18 to 24 months, although some treatments may rarely last longer. Fixed appliances work very well in straightening the teeth, but sometimes placing the roots in the correct positions prolongs the treatment time. Premature removal of braces prematurely results in inadequate treatment and increases the likelihood of relapse (teeth returning to their original condition). How do my teeth stay straight after treatment? Your teeth need a certain amount of time to adjust to their new position and you need to wear a reinforcement appliance during this period.

Will my teeth stay straightened for life? Unfortunately, as we age, our teeth begin to become crooked as a result of natural tendency. This tendency is especially observed in the lower anterior 6 teeth. The only way to avoid this is to use the reinforcement appliance for the long term. How do I clean my braces? The brace is attached to the tooth, so it is very crucial to spend extra time cleaning around the brace as well as the teeth and gums. Along with the toothbrush (manual or electric) that you use in your routine, small interfacial brushes, which are designed especially for the areas around the brackets and under the wires, are the brushes we recommend to be used throughout orthodontic treatment. Using fluoride toothpaste is also very important to protect your teeth from caries. In combination with all these, a healthy diet with a low sugar intake and frequency of intake is recommended for your dental health. It is recommended that you see your dentist regularly for professional scaling and plaque removal. What happens if my brace breaks? You call your orthodontist and schedule an additional appointment to have it repaired; if there is little time left before the next appointment, you do not need to make another appointment, you can come at your regular appointment. If the broken brace causes pain, please inform your orthodontist and make an urgent appointment. What about sports? During sports, braces can damage your lips and teeth, in which case it is advisable to use a mouth guard. What are the risks of orthodontic treatment? Orthodontic decalcification: Inadequate tooth brushing and high sugar consumption lead to caries formation around the braces and on the teeth. Initially, it appears as a white spot (decalcification), then it turns brown and becomes irreversible with cavitation within 8 weeks. Inadequate tooth brushing also causes bleeding, pain, and inflammation in the gums. If no action is taken, this inflammatory condition spreads to deeper tissues, causing bone loss around the tooth and the teeth begin to wobble. Sometimes, when we see white spot lesions on the teeth, i.e. decalcification, the braces are temporarily removed to prevent further damage to the teeth, and the treatment is interrupted. If the patient maintains proper oral hygiene, the treatment is continued; if not, the treatment is terminated to prevent damage to the teeth. Decalcification, discoloration, and caries appearance seen in cases where adequate oral hygiene is not provided. Root Resorption: This happens throughout the entire orthodontic treatment and does not affect dental health because it is usually very small. However, in some rare cases of severe root resorption, orthodontic treatment may be modified or interrupted until the condition improves to avoid further damage to the tooth. Previous trauma or any other damage to the tooth can exacerbate resorption during orthodontic treatment. Please inform your orthodontist if you have previously traumatized your tooth or if you have already undergone orthodontic treatment. Jaw Joint Problems / Pain: In studies conducted worldwide, no evidence has been found that orthodontic treatment causes jaw joint problems. However, orthodontic treatment may exacerbate the condition in patients with previous jaw joint problems. Therefore, if you experience pain, clicking sounds, or opening and closing problems in your joint, you should definitely inform your orthodontist before treatment. Treatment Success and Prognosis: The success and course of the treatment depend largely on you. Not breaking the braces, using the appliances, and keeping your mouth and braces clean are very important for the success of this treatment. It is also very crucial to apply what your orthodontist recommends to you, especially in the use of elastic. What are removable orthodontic appliances? These are appliances that the patient can put on and take off by themselves.

They are applied in simpler cases. Habit Breaking Appliances: Malocclusions in children can be seen due to various etiologic factors or harmful habits acquired from birth. The most common harmful habits in children are thumb sucking, mouth breathing, and tongue thrusting. The most common malocclusions due to these habits are reported to be open and crossbite problems. Habit-breaking appliances used during the deciduous and mixed dentition period help the pediatric patient to have a healthy occlusion during the permanent dentition period, reducing the need for further orthodontic treatment. Position Trainer Appliance, Quad-Helix Appliance, Palatal Crib Appliance, Screw Appliances, Clear Plates: In some simple cases, crowding can now be corrected with the use of clear molds without the use of braces. These patient-specific plates, which will be changed every two weeks, should be worn for approximately 20 hours a day. Each treatment requires an average of 60 pairs of (lower-upper jaw) different corrective molds. The treatment time is similar to the treatment time with braces. Depending on the case, it varies between 6 months and 24 months. Functional Appliances: Functional appliances are removable appliances applied to the upper and lower teeth at the same time. Twin – Twin-Block Functional Appliance: Jaw Orthopedics is a field of orthodontics that aims to correct the distorted relationships of the upper and lower jaws relative to each other with special appliances worn on the face at an early age. Often orthopedic treatment (alignment of the jaws) and orthodontic treatment (alignment of the bite of the teeth) are carried out together. Orthognathic Surgery: Orthognathic surgery is used in cases that cannot be corrected with orthodontic or orthopedic treatment. Jaw and facial disorders can be congenital or may occur later due to accidents and diseases. The mismatch of the jaws to each other and to the face causes both aesthetic and functional discomfort in patients. These disorders can be corrected with advanced technology and surgical techniques.

What are orthodontic disorders? 1-Cognitive Disorders 2-Skeletal Disorders: Dental disorders concern only the teeth, such as crowding, gaps, impacted teeth, and missing or excess teeth. Their treatment is possible at any age. It is possible to close the gaps with orthodontic treatment for tooth deficiencies. Skeletal disorders include jaw disorders such as having the upper or lower jaw forward or backward and having an open bite in front. Their treatment is more comprehensive and long-term, and the age of the patient matters a lot. The ages when growth continues are the most suitable period for treatment. For these problems in adulthood, surgery-assisted orthodontic treatments called orthognathic surgery may come to the agenda. What are the causes of Orthodontic Disorders? 1-Hereditary problems 2-Acquired problems: Hereditary problems are of genetic origin, such as the formation of crowding due to small jaw structure from the mother and large teeth from the father. Acquired problems are disorders caused by environmental factors such as failure to treat deciduous tooth caries, early loss of deciduous teeth, prolonged use of false pacifiers or bottles, or finger sucking. To prevent orthodontic disorders, the treatment of deciduous teeth must be done and should not be neglected with the idea that they will be replaced anyway. Deciduous teeth that fall out prematurely must be replaced with retainers. If there are habits such as finger sucking and tongue thrusting, habit-breaking appliances should be used. Cleft Lip and Palate: Cleft lip and palate disorder (also known as Cleft Palate) is caused by the tissues that make up the palate and lip structures not fully overlapping due to a defect that occurs during the embryological period (in the womb). The formation of these areas takes place between the 4th and 12th weeks of pregnancy. Any disturbance at this stage determines the size and location of the cleft according to its severity and timing. These clefts are broadly classified as follows: • Cleft lip, • Cleft palate, • Total cleft palate (covers the entire lip and palate), • Unilateral clefts, • Bilateral clefts, • Midline clefts. The incidence of CLP varies based on race but is roughly one in every thousand pregnancies. Although the exact cause of this disease is unknown, both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role. Environmental factors include smoking during pregnancy, malnutrition, deficiency of certain folic acid and vitamins, diabetes, and maternal age. Cleft lip and palate is a condition that can be diagnosed in the womb. In some cases, cleft lip can be diagnosed by ultrasound. In this case, there is nothing to do before the birth. Detection of the condition is important for planning the postnatal treatment of these infants. What should be done for infants born with cleft lip and palate? CLP is not a fatal condition, but some precautions must be taken, especially for the normal development of feeding and swallowing functions. In infants, the swallowing reflex develops in the first 24 hours. In the case of cleft palate, the sucked milk comes through the nose and can enter the respiratory tract. The most important problem in these infants is respiratory tract infections. At the birth of these infants, especially after home births, cleft lip could be missed. For this reason, babies should be examined very carefully after birth. Sometimes heart diseases and various anomalies can also be seen in these infants. In this respect, it is also necessary to pay close attention to the general examination. Infants born with CLP should be referred to an orthodontist within the first 24 hours.

The orthodontist takes measurements from these infants and makes a feeding plate. With this plate, the baby regains its sucking function. The orthodontist replaces these plates at regular intervals and guides the palatal tissues. At this stage, infants should be fed in an upright position and care should be taken regarding aspiration. Once the main issue in these infants, feeding function, is achieved, the cleft is repaired. First the lip and then the palate operation is performed by a plastic surgeon. Dental anomalies are also common in infants born with cleft palate. Speech is also impaired because the mouth and nasal cavities are joined. In this case, treatment can last until almost all the teeth have grown in and been straightened. In some cases, this may take up to 18 years of age. In this sense, the treatment of CLP is quite complex and needs to be done as a team. CLP teams, which have existed in European countries for many years, have also been established in our country in recent years. These teams, which are mostly found in universities with dental faculties, can provide much more effective treatments. The CLP team should include an orthodontist, plastic surgeon, speech therapist, otolaryngologist, and psychologist. Parents who have experienced CLP should know that it is not the end of life and that, with the right treatment, their child will be no different from any other child. Adult Orthodontics: With the developing technology and treatment techniques, orthodontic treatment has become widespread in advanced ages. It is possible to minimize aesthetic concerns, especially by using ceramic materials and invisible braces. Orthodontic treatment at advanced ages provides good aesthetics and contributes to the solution of gum problems. Sometimes orthodontic treatments can be performed in preparation for prostheses to make better prostheses, and the teeth are optimized for prostheses.