subject: Tension Creates Dental Problems For Adults [print this page] Jaws tightly closed and teeth grindingJaws tightly closed and teeth grinding. These are becoming common signs of difficult times. Harmful mouth movements are done by men and women who are tense by difficult circumstances that constantly surround them. While asleep, adults may clench their jaws and grind their teeth to release tension, a condition which is known as bruxism. What is turning out to be a common neuromuscular problem is the clicking of jaw joints, which commonly causes ear pain and headaches.
Bruxism studies show that females over 40 may be prone to the condition compared to men. When it comes to releasing tension, it looks as if men reflect it through stomach problems while women reflect it through mouth problems. The cure for the problem is not orthodontics because the only way to effect a cure is to deal with the frustrations that cause the tension, but to prevent damage to teeth temporarily, plastic retainers or jaw straps while asleep are advised.
Other dental problems including bruxism are now getting the attention of orthodontists. The past years has seen orthodontists focusing not only on the straightening of teeth for the purpose of cosmetics. Nowadays, there are new methods and theories involving the whole facial structure.
Adolescent dental problems are not the only problems orthodontics deal with because this area of dentistry relates to a lot of adults too. A dentist cautions orthodontists to be very careful when dealing with adult patients. Children's tissues are more flexible than adults, thus, they bounce back more readily.
Deformities resulting from jaw protrusion and clefts in the lips or palate may be reconstructed by advances in procedures involving a blend of both orthodontics and plastic surgery, he said. He says that about two thirds of the orthodontic cases treated annually are problems involving jaw growth. The teeth will usually go where the jaw is at. The teeth will follow if the jaw is put at the right place. Through surgery or corrective appliances, the underdeveloped jaw may be guided to grow properly.
Though non compulsory, orthodontic procedures may be used as prevention. Deviant swallow and speech impediment are among the different things a child may acquire because of a condition that would usually follow thumb sucking called improper tongue thrust. The tongue's strength is capable to shifting teeth to a different position.
The upward and downward forces exerted by chinstraps are useful in correcting abnormal bite. A bad bite could mean that the person could eventually lose his teeth or develop bone damage. Cosmetic improvements of dental devices include the improvement of materials used in bands as well as the direct bonding of plastic with metal for braces. Though plastic is not always as effective as metal, in some cases it can be worn and is more aesthetically pleasing than a mouthful of metal.
What is being used in orthodontics more commonly nowadays is a device known as the laminagraph. The dentofacial region can be Xrayed in just one shot by this device, which uses only one sixth of the total amount of radiation commonly used for full mouth Xrays. Laminagraphy does not supersede individual X rays to locate decay, but it has become useful as a broader diagnostic tool.
