Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that specializes in diagnosing, preventing and treating malocclusions both of the dental origin (tooth malpositioning in the arch) and the ones that are a result of skeleton disorders (resulting from the abnormal development and built of the bone surface).

Usually the reasons for visiting the orthodontist are of an aesthetic nature. A straight, beautiful smile is currently an indication of taking care of oneself and a disorder in this field is often impacting our self-esteem and how we are seen by the people from our environment.

However, it has to be emphasized, that the orthodontic treatment is conducted mainly for our health. Incorrectly settled teeth are harder to clean, which makes them more prone to caries and periodontal diseases; the surfaces of the teeth excessively grind during eating, which deepens the malocclusion and can lead to disorders of the temporomandibular joints. The malocclusion can cause problems with correct swallowing, pronunciation, muscle tension, as well as problems with the digestive system, when misplaced teeth do not serve their main function – breaking-up food.

  • There are many causes of the malocclusion, but they can generally be divided into two groups:
    Birth defects – of a genetic background or caused by the external factors in the developmental phase of the fetus (nutrient deficiencies)
  • Acquired – usually connected to the bad habits in the developmental stage (such as sucking on a thumb, pacifier, sucking in the cheeks, biting the nails, breathing through mouth) or to the abnormalities during the replacement of deciduous teeth for permanent teeth or their premature loss; or as a result of mechanical injury of the face.

We can define different types of malocclusions:

  • Anteroposterior, such as underbite or overbite
  • Vertical: open bite, underbite or overbite
  • Horizontal, such as crossbite or overjet

It is common for the different types to overlap, and then we call these defects mixed defects. Usually malocclusions are accompanied by dental defects (rotations, inclinations, displacements), which can also occur on their own and are often a consequence of a neighboring or opposite teeth loss.
At MALO CLINIC we offer treatment with different types of braces:

  • Removable braces – recommended mainly for the patients in the developmental stage. They are functional braces, which purpose is to boost growth of the facial part of cranium and influence on a proper development of dental arches.
  • Fixed braces – consist of locks (elements that are glued onto teeth), an arch and other additional and supplementary elements. The locks can be made in different sizes and of different materials: Metal (also without nickel for people who suffer from allergies) or aesthetic (in the same colour as the teeth or transparent); they are usually glued onto the external (labial and buccal) surface of teeth, but sometimes it’s also possible to use lingual braces, which is placed on the inside.
  • Aligners – aligners are braces that are currently very popular, because they are in a form of transparent strips made for each patient individually. It’s easy to take them off for a meal, before an important meeting and for procedures of hygenization. The structure of the aligner itself – that is a lack of visible fastening elements – makes this type of braces practically invisible.
    Orthodontic treatment can be conducted on patients of all ages and more and more adult patients decide on it. Because in this case we cannot use a growth potential, this type of treatment requires a different approach on the part of the orthodontist, as well as accepting a compromise in the effect on the part of the patient. The orthodontic treatment is often one of the stages of a multidisciplinary treatment as well, that is a beginning of the prosthetic, surgical or implantological treatment.

Main objectives

  • Restoring an aesthetic smile

Orthodontical problems often influence the social and professional spheres of our lives, they can lead to a situation, in which we are ashamed to smile. A properly conducted treatment guarantees a better look and restoring the self-esteem.

  • Improvement of the oral cavity hygiene

Crowded, crooked teeth are significantly complicating keeping a correct hygiene of the oral cavity. Correcting the positions of teeth in an arch is crucial for preventing caries and periodontal diseases.

  • Improvement of chewing

In case of patients with malocclusion, and especially with an incorrect maxilla and mandible placement, improvement in the chewing function guarantees better fragmentation of food, better digestion, and so the correct nutrition of the body.

  • Improvement in pronunciation and breathing

Elimination of problems connected to breathing and improvement in verbal communication are key factors for the patient’s health and comfort.

  • Preventing damage to the temporal mandibular joints

In many cases the orthodontic treatment prevents complications and pathological lesions of a temporal mandibular joint. Such complications and lesions can become a cause of chronic pain and dizziness, nausea and limitations in opening and closing the mouth.