Whether an adult needs orthodontic treatment is a matter of opinion. However, the issue of adult orthodontics is not as straightforward as it is for children, involving aspects such as the temporomandibular joint, occlusion, damage caused during growth, poor dental restorations, and lingual orthodontics, among others.
When an adult decides to undergo orthodontic treatment, the time from decision to actually wearing braces varies from person to person. This is because, in order to enhance stability after correction, dentists must comprehensively address oral diseases such as cavities, periodontal disease, gingivitis, and cysts, as seen at Dongwu Hospital's Department of Stomatology in Suzhou.
Do you need orthodontic treatment?
When an adult expresses interest in orthodontics, a dentist usually spends an hour to an hour and a half educating them about relevant oral health knowledge. Whether a patient seeking consultation needs orthodontic treatment can only be determined after the dentist collects and analyzes their specific oral health data to weigh the pros and cons of undergoing treatment.
In data collection, X-ray imaging is often used because orthodontic treatment involves three-dimensional considerations. This includes establishing the physiological position of the jaw joint, ensuring healthy neuromuscular movement mechanisms, symmetry of the base bone, balance between tooth size and base bone, individual tooth health relative to surrounding support tissues, alignment and parallelism of tooth axes, molar relationships, canine relationships, and anterior tooth relationships.
Patients sometimes ask their dentist to decide if they need orthodontic treatment, but the dentist's role is solely to analyze the patient’s personal oral health data, not make the decision for them.
The timing for when someone should undergo orthodontic treatment can be determined by whether it impacts daily or social life, or causes obstacles. For instance, halitosis: 85% of cases stem from dental plaque, tartar, cavities, periodontal disease, infections around wisdom teeth, tongue coating shedding, damaged fillings, unclean crowns, abscessed roots, smoking, or food odors.
The remaining 15% are due to nasal, pulmonary, intestinal, gastric, diabetic, renal, and other systemic conditions. Therefore, maintaining good oral hygiene, regular maintenance, and treatment can resolve most issues related to bad breath. The ease of maintaining oral hygiene, however, is closely related to the alignment of teeth.
When a person has misaligned teeth, with all other factors being equal (such as brushing duration and method), the level of cleanliness achieved through brushing is less effective compared to those with properly aligned teeth, thus increasing the likelihood of developing dental-related diseases.
For dentists, adult orthodontics is not a standalone subject. Today, 30-50% of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment in clinical settings are aged between 30 and 80 years old. Orthodontics is no longer just about aesthetics but also about oral rehabilitation and comprehensive diagnosis.
In overall treatment, considerations include preventing and treating periodontal disease, treating temporomandibular joint disorders, creating prostheses, distributing occlusal forces, and pre-implant preparation.
Additionally, orthodontics benefits patients both statically (appearance, lip shape) and dynamically (expressions, smiles), enhancing psychological aspects like self-confidence and social behavior.
The process of adult orthodontics has become less painful, with choices available in metallic and resin materials for braces. Treatment is now more efficient, with shorter ideal treatment times, playing a more active role in oral rehabilitation within dental clinics.
In advanced societies like Europe and America, adult orthodontics is considered a lifestyle etiquette, focusing on personal image. The public generally understands that adult orthodontics aims to improve quality of life and is a common societal behavior.
Orthodontic treatment reflects the modern public's pursuit of refined living standards, where the psychological and mental aspects outweigh the physical. It has become an inevitable trend and a problem we must consider and address.