Facts
- The Dubai Dental Hospital provides services for orthognathic cases requiring jaw correction.
- The Hospital conducts 'Treatment Planning Seminars' with all the specialty dental departments to formulate your treatment plan.
- Our team of orthodontists are qualified to install ’Invisalign clear aligners.
- Some of our treatment methods include metal and ceramic braces, functional appliances, headgear and habit breakers.
Our treatments include:
- Assessment.
- Discussion with the patient about a proposed treatment.
- X-rays, impressions and photos.
- Discussion with the patient about definitive treatment plan.
- Treatment plan; treatment may take between six to 24 months depending on the patient requirements.
What is orthodontic treatment?
Orthodontic treatment is a way of straightening or moving teeth to improve the facial appearance of a person and correct imbalances in the jaw. Crooked and crowded teeth are harder to keep clean. In addition, these kind of teeth may have higher chances of loss due to tooth decay and periodontal disease, causing stress on the chewing muscles which can lead to headaches, shoulder and back pain.
Orthodontic treatment is a smart investment towards your overall health as its benefits include a healthy bite, good-looking smile and teeth that are more likely to last a lifetime.
How do I know if I need orthodontic treatment?
The Dubai Dental Hospital has a team of specialized orthodontists with international and local experience. Your orthodontist can determine whether you can benefit from an orthodontic treatment and will perform a clinical exam by making plaster models of your teeth, taking special X-rays and photographs and developing a treatment plan.
If you have any of the following conditions, you may be a candidate for orthodontic treatment:
- Overbite: The upper front teeth lie too far forward and overlap the lower teeth.
- Underbite: The lower teeth are too far forward or the upper teeth too far back.
- Crossbite: The upper teeth do not come down slightly in front of the lower teeth when biting normally.
- Openbite: Space between the biting surfaces of the front and/or side teeth when the back teeth bite together.
- Misplaced midline: The center of your upper front teeth does not line up with the center of your lower front teeth.
- Spacing: Gaps or spaces between the teeth as a result of missing teeth or teeth that do not ’fill up’ the mouth.
- Crowding: There are too many teeth for the dental ridge to accommodate in the mouth.
How does orthodontic treatment work?
Orthodontic treatment begins with evaluation of factors such as age, possible jaw imbalances, differences in the size of your teeth, and dental/medical history, followed by planning the most effective approach towards treatment.
Types of Orthodontic Treatments
Fixed appliances
- Metallic or ceramic braces are the most commonly used fixed appliances which make use of bands fixed around the tooth and used as an anchor for the appliance. Brackets are bonded to the front of the tooth while arch wires pass through the brackets and then attached to the bands. Arch wires are tightened according to the treatment plan which places tension on the teeth to gradually move them into their proper position. A monthly visit is required to adjust the braces and achieve the desired results.
- Fixed space maintainers are used if a baby tooth is lost prematurely. It is used to keep the space open until the permanent tooth erupts. A band is attached to the tooth next to the empty space, and a wire is extended to the tooth on the other side of the space.
Removable appliances
- Aligners are an alternative to the traditional braces for adults. Serial aligners are being used by an increasing number of orthodontists to move teeth in the same way that fixed appliances work only without metal wires and brackets. Aligners are virtually invisible and are removed for eating, brushing and flossing.
Removable space maintainers
- These devices serve the same function as fixed space maintainers. They are made with an acrylic base that fits over the jaw, and have plastic or wire branches between specific teeth to keep the space between them open.
Jaw repositioning appliances
- Also called splints, these devices are worn on either the top or lower jaw, and help train the jaw to close in a more favorable position.
Lip and cheek bumpers
- These are designed to keep the lips or cheeks away from the teeth. Lip and cheek muscles can exert pressure on the teeth, and these bumpers help relieve that pressure.
Palatal expander
- The expander is a device used to widen the arch of the upper jaw. It is a plastic plate that fits over the roof of the mouth. Outward pressure applied to the palate by screws force the joints in the bones of the palate to open lengthwise, widening the palatal area.