The story of bringing back the perfect smile and self-confidence of a youngster
Dr. B. Kanagasabapathy
[M.D.S. (Ortho), Fellow ICOI]
Besides negatively impacting how a person speaks and chews, dental misalignment is a matter of aesthetic concern. We have seen many kids, teenagers, and even adolescents develop low self-esteem due to their crooked teeth. Here is the story of one such youth whose self-confidence and beautiful smile were reinstated with our dental support.
A 27-year-old male visited our clinic with his parents a year ago. His front teeth were protruding out of his mouth and he was unable to close his mouth and smile properly.
While conversing with the young champ, we found that his unattractive smile brought by the buck teeth had greatly affected him since childhood. Consequently, he grew so introverted that he found it difficult to interact with his peers. His parents added that the problem with his teeth has been taking a toll on his marriage proposals.
Neglecting dental misalignment in childhood can lead to several dental and aesthetic issues while entering adulthood. Many people are unaware of it and ignore this problem.
We told them that these issues might be avoided if the patient underwent orthodontic treatment as a child or teenager. Then, Dr. Kanagasabapathy consoled their son by promising to give him the smile he has been seeking for years in a short while using corrective dental braces, claiming that it was not too late.
As the patient had a higher degree of crookedness in his teeth, we suggested fixed orthodontic treatment (i.e.) metal braces. The patient and his parents agreed.
The teeth were moved into the proper position by the metal braces by continuously exerting pressure on them. The orthodontic appliance’s primary components include archwires, metal brackets, ligatures, and molar bands.
- The archwire exerts the force required for teeth repositioning.
- The brackets are attached over the teeth using an adhesive to hold the arch wires in their places.
- The archwire is placed in a metal bracket’s slot and secured using a ligature.
Our orthodontists found that shifting was impossible with braces alone for some teeth. Therefore, we deployed a temporary anchorage device. We cemented the metal brackets and fixed the arch wires the same day.
We had to adjust the archwire periodically and monitor the teeth’ movement. So, we advised the patient to get a routine checkup once every 4 to 8 weeks.
Apart from never skipping a regular checkup, the patient strictly abodes by Dr. Kanagasabapathy’s instructions during the entire course of treatment. With each checkup, we saw a significant improvement in the alignment of his teeth.
All of the teeth were aligned correctly after 12 months of treatment, and the metal brace was recently removed. The Vicenarian was enthralled at the moment when he saw his perfect smile. He and his parents were overjoyed with the solution we came up with.
We instructed the patient to wear a retainer for a few months. It guarantees that the teeth will firmly set in the new place. The young adult agreed and is now wearing permanent retainers.
