What is Orthodontics?
Orthodontics, also known as Orthodontia and Dentofacial Orthopedics, is one the oldest specialties of dentistry which addresses the correction of crooked teeth, bite and dentofacial deformities. These days, modern orthodontics provides a wide range of dental cares to improve esthetic and function of jaw, teeth and surrounding tissues like chewing muscles and the jaw joint, called TMJ, in harmony with all the facial structures as a whole.
Orthodontics is originated from two Greek words, orthos (straight) and -odont-, which means tooth.
Traditionally, orthodontists have dealt with alignment of the crooked teeth and over time this ever-changing field of dentofacial science has been starting to study and develop different treatment options to correct growth and developmental deformities of jaw and facial bones and functional disorders like jaw joint related pain, difficulties in breathing, snoring, speech distortion like lisping and on top of the list normal chewing and swallowing function.
Stability of treatment, maintaining and improving the health and wellbeing of all facial structures in an esthetically pleasant way has been an inseparable part of all orthodontic treatments.
