Malocclusion is more commonly known as crowded teeth, cross bite, overbite, under bite, or open bite. It is simply the misalignment of teeth. It is a common problem seen in most people at least to some degree.

How to identify Malocclusion
Even though most people do not have perfect alignment of their teeth, for some, the misalignment causes other more noticeable problems. A dentist should be consulted if any of the following symptoms occur together with poor alignment of teeth, in order to effect a proper diagnosis and treatment of Malocclusion.

▪   pain arising from pressure to the jaw

▪   problems in speech and ability to eat

▪   breathing through the mouth

▪   difficulty in keeping the lips closed

Types of Malocclusion
In 1899, Edward Angel identified three different categories of Malocclusion:

▪   Class I Malocclusion : This is the more widespread type of Malocclusion. In this type, the first molars are normal. However the other teeth are affected by problems in spacing, crowding, and over/ under eruption.

▪   Class II Malocclusion : In this type of Malocclusion the upper molars significantly overlap the bottom teeth.

▪   Class III Malocclusion : This is the inverse of class II where the lower jaw protrudes more than the upper, causing the bottom front teeth to overlap the upper ones

Causes of Malocclusion

Malocclusion can either be inherited from parents or acquired through bad habits:

Inherited Malocclusion : This is mostly the case. This type of Malocclusion is evident in there being less or more teeth, or space between the teeth, than appropriate. It is caused by irregular jaw size or shape or by unusual formations like cleft palates.

Acquired Malocclusion : A major cause of acquired Malocclusion is bad habits. The bad habits that children mostly succumb to, such as thumb/ finger sucking or tongue thrusting, are causes of Malocclusion. As such, monitoring of such bad habits by the parents and controlling the same can easily prevent this type of Malocclusion occurring.

Treatment of Malocclusion

▪   Use of Braces

▪   Malocclusion is commonly treated by using dental braces. The constant and gently pressure provided by braces will enable teeth straightening and help push teeth back to their correct position.
Braces consist of brackets that are fixed to the teeth, and wires that connect the brackets. Since the braces cannot be removed, extra attention should be paid in keeping the teeth clean and getting rid of food particles that are likely to get stuck in the braces.

▪   Removal of teeth

▪   This will help in instances of overcrowding, where it would make room for the other teeth to move to the correct position.

▪   Reshaping, and bonding or capping teeth

▪   This will treat rough or irregular teeth removing resistance in forming a proper bite.

▪   Surgery : Requirement of surgery is rare. Surgery can be used to reshape the jaw or to stabilize the jawbone through wires, plates or screws where required. 
Malocclusion can be treated in the majority of cases. Consulting a dentist early when Malocclusion is suspected can ensure the proper and effective treatment, which would help in maintaining proper dental health.

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A great article by Steven Brazis

Who Needs Dental Implants?
By Steven Brazis
Over the past twenty years, dental implants have been constantly improving. The science and technology for dental implants now makes implants as predictable and reliable as more traditional dental restorative procedures like crowns and bridges.

Implants are done in two distinct stages. A titanium artificial tooth root is surgically placed into the jaw bone by an oral surgeon, periodontist or general dentist with specialized training. The top of the implant is just below the level of gum tissue and exposed to the inside of the mouth by leaving a small hole in the gums. A “healing cap” is screwed into the threads of the implant to prevent the gum tissue from growing over or into the implant.

A period of 6 weeks to several months is required for the titanium implant to “integrate” with the jaw bone. That means that the bone actually attaches to the implant to provide stability. It should be realized that this attachment is NOT the same as with a natural tooth. There is no periodontal ligament involved, which is the feature in bone to tooth attachment that allows for tooth movement through bone. Implants cannot be moved orthodontically nor be exposed to forces that cause natural teeth to move in response. For this reason, if implants are being considered with multiple missing teeth, your dentist must plan the number of implants and type of restoration placed on the implants carefully.

The type of restoration placed on the implant are varied. In the case of a single tooth, a piece called an abutment is screwed into the implant to replace the healing cap when osseo-integration of the implant has been accomplished. A crown (or cap) is then cemented over the abutment just as if this were a natural tooth that had been prepared for a crown.

There can be several single tooth implants placed either adjacent to one another or in various locations around the mouth where teeth are missing. However, when the span of missing teeth is too great, it becomes more cost effective as well as biologically supportable to place two or three implants and link them together with a fixed bridge. There will be more teeth showing on the bridge than there are implants, just like with traditional bridges on natural teeth. These are also supported be abutments screwed into the implants as with single tooth implants.

When there are many missing teeth (or all of them) implants are usually used to support a removable denture. In these cases, several implants are linked together with a cast metal bar screwed into the implants on short posts. On the under side of the denture clips are inserted which clip onto the bar between the implants. A denture made this way is vastly more comfortable than a traditional denture because it largely rests on the bar instead of the tissue, thus eliminating many of the sore spots caused by dentures. Additionally, the denture is locked into place by the clips and is extremely stable, unlike dentures which tend to slip and shift or come completely out much more easily.

Although implants can be very expensive by comparison with other more traditional dental prosthetics, the potential benefits make them equally valuable. Most patients who have had traditional dental prosthetics replaced by implant supported prosthetics are so happy that they would never go back.

Dr. Steven Brazis has practiced family and cosmetic dentistry for 35 years. His practice is in Sacramento, CA. He has written extensively on dentistry for the lay person.

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Naperville Magazine is conducting their third annual “Best of Naperville Magazine Awards” You vote, You decide, and they will publish the winners in the August 2011 issue. There are forty categories to vote for, covering everything from best burger to best dentist. Remember, you choose the winner!  Each person is able to cast 10 votes.

If you LOVE your dentist/orthodontist

• Log on to www.napervillemagazine.com
• In the upper right corner click – “Click here to vote”
• In the bottom left of the next screen click “Click here to login or register”
• Login OR Click “Create new account”
• You will be asked to create your own personal UserName and Password
• Enter username, email address, and password then click on “Create New Account”
• On next screen Click “Click here to vote”
• All 40 categories will list
• Go to Best Dentist/Practice and TYPE: Naperville Dental/Innovative Orthodontics
• Click on Submit
• Vote 10 times

THANK YOU for your support!!!

Also, congratulations to Naperville Magazine! The Tribune company has acquired the magazine which is great for them and area businesses!!! Way To GO!

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“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. This is indeed a very true saying. We look beautiful to the people who want to see us beautiful. However, this does not mean that we do not want to look beautiful to others. People who love us and who are near to us always find us to be beautiful. Whatever we wear, whatever we do and however we look, we still seem to be beautiful to them. Even in our bad hair days, they find us to be mesmerizing, our presence to be grandeur and make us feel good about ourselves.

However, many times, we do feel that there are some discrepancies in us and we want to do away with these problems. One such major problem that many of us do face is that of discolored, misaligned or broken tooth. Our smile is our asset and this one smile can do wonders for us. However, due to some dental problem, when we try to hide our smile, this definitely acts as a hindrance and therefore, it is important that instead of hiding the problems, we tackle them with care. In this context, dental implants is the best way to fight away to glory our dental problems.

We all want to be in our best presence all the time and have that flashy smile that can do wonders and miracles. Our appearance and our confidence do reflect when we pass a confident smile and in such cases, trying to hide our smile is simply a no-no. We can fight away with our dental problems like broken or chipped tooth with the help of dental implants. This procedure is medically acclaimed and many people have restored to this procedure that has brought in immense confidence in them. With the help of dental implants they can smile away to glory and can feel confident about their looks and their appearances.

Dental implants are also a good solution to replace a missing tooth or a couple of missing teeth. Therefore, now you do not need to worry about those missing teeth. You will simply need to consult a good dentist who could guide you with the procedure. Taking the help of a dentist would let you know the exact procedure and would help you to understand the pros and cons of the procedure. The procedure is nothing but the replacement of a missing tooth or missing teeth with artificial teeth. This is indeed very helpful.

It is very important for us to have a healthy set of teeth. It not only helps us to smile better but is also one of the major tools for a healthy body. It is important to have a healthy set of teeth because it helps us to chew our food better, which further helps us to have a good digestive system and to have a healthy body.

Therefore, it is very important to have a healthy set of teeth. Dental implants are definitely a good procedure to replace broken or chipped tooth or teeth. Therefore, you can take the help of the procedure to a healthy living and a healthy mind.

Article by Brad Taylor

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Teens Who Play Video Games More Likely to Have Tooth Decay

Fox News reported on a study revealed that the longer teenagers spend glued to the screen, the greater the impact on their dental hygiene.

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Very important dental information!

Kissing your baby can spread cavities!

Mom’s kiss can spread cavities to baby.

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At the office today when I was finished working on a patient I began to find out about how she found us. It’s been a couple of visits so far. She’s getting a whole new set of teeth. Her story is incredible actually because she had been to visit 2 or 3 different dentists and already spent $15000+ on her teeth.

Well, how could her teeth get to be so bad? Not her fault… She is a cancer survivor. She suffered from cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. The radiation and such just caused her bones to weaken and her teeth just started falling out and breaking.

When I expressed my dismay she told me that she knew of at least three others that are experiencing similar stress. She said it was embarrassing and painful and ultimately affected her ability to work and feel good.

Currently she’s wearing her second set of temps and her real teeth will be going in soon. Already there is a marked difference in facial support. And she was in the office telling everyone how happy she is to finally feel good. It was a proud moment. She has a beautiful face and a great personality and deserves to feel good.

After spending all that money and trying dentist after dentist, I’m sure she was intimidated – It should be easier to find us!

So let’s get the word out!

If you’re reading this article and know of someone in a similar situation, or if this sounds like you, come in for a visit. It never hurts to just make an appointment and just find out what your options are.

Like my new patient says, you use your car every day, but you use your teeth all day! It’s worth it!

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