Anthony LaVacca, DMD Blog | What Does A Beautiful Smile Mean to you?

TAG | Orthodontists

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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Advancing technology gives rise to newer methods of healing. In the field of dentistry, the major development is taking place in methods of regenerating gum tissue. Gum tissue is vital in supporting teeth and holding them in place.

The latest development by Scientists at the University of Michigan, for regenerating gum tissue is a technique that uses gene delivery. This method of gene delivery looks safe and does not seem to pose any hazards for regenerating gum tissue that supports teeth. According to William Giannobile, a professor at the U-M School of Dentistry, there still remain many issues that revolve around concern for safety of the patient undergoing gene therapy, though this form of therapy is accepted widely as a method of treatment and healing.

This concern for safety was highlighted in the early stages of its development a number of years ago, when a teenager undergoing gene therapy died after the administration of adenovirus during a gene therapy clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania.

Gene therapy versus U-M therapy

When he compared gene therapy to U-M therapy, Professor Giannobile said that both therapies use adenovirus but in U-M therapy, the dosage is much lower and treatment is in the form of a local application, quite like a paste which is applied directly on the tissue during surgery; as opposed to gene therapy where the genes are injected directly in the blood vessels which allows adenovirus to travel in the blood stream and this may at times result in unexpected developments which can sometimes be fatal. The U-M method is more of a topical method where the adenovirus is controlled in the localised area and is not allowed to spread throughout the body. This approach lessens concerns of saftey and about negative reactions that may occur within the body.

Professor Giannobile, who has an appointment at the U-M College of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and also directs the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research, explained that the teenager died, as the adenovirus got into his bloodstream and he reacted adversely to it. It was tragic.

He said that in the first study of periodontal disease therapy, it was demonstrated the that distribution of these genes was very safe. He also said that it could be used in the clinic for clinical application. He said that their study does not address all the safety concerns, but that safety was surely a very important concern to the field. (The success of using this treatment will surely depend on its safety factor.) The U-M method of treatment shows great potential in clinical treatment of Periodontal disease and diabetic wounds. He pointed out that that this could be due to the fact that both these diseases are a result of a “defective healing environment.”

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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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Dec/09

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WHAT A GREAT YEAR!~

Manal and I at the Naperville Chamber Awards Dinner

Manal and I at the Naperville Chamber Awards Dinner

Manal and I at the Naperville Chamber Awards Dinner!

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