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 Happy Wednesday! I thought this week I would focus on the topic so many of us will learn more about and pay more for than we ever probably wanted to. Although I spend most of my time focused on the research and development of our products that address teething babies, many of you parents have other children in braces or heading towards them. I thought we could blog this week on the topic of braces and the specialty of orthodontics.
Although I am a general dentist, my father is an orthodontist. I spent time at my father's office while my mother ran errands before or after our ballet class next door. My five brothers and sisters took turns on different days "playing dentist" and sitting at my Dad's big desk in his private office. Needless to say, this had a very important impact on my life. Growing up around dentistry made it an easy choice to go into dentistry as a profession. My brother Casey also went on to be a general dentist and my sister Bonnie went on to specialize in Animal Dentistry.
Orthodontics, a specialty in dentistry, focuses on the treatment of malocclusion. The term malocclusion means "bad bite."
A dentist that specializes in Orthodontics went to two or three years of extra training to correct bites. "Bad bites" could involve crooked, uneven, crowded teeth, or jaws that are too big or too small. Most people think people get braces just to look better. However, teeth need to be straight to prevent tooth decay or loss and provide a healthier environment for the gums and bone that hold the teeth in your mouth.
I had braces when I was a teenager. I could not wait to get braces. However, after a couple of months, the newness wore off, and then I went three years wanting to get them off. I used to ask my Dad, "how long until I get my braces off?" He would say...."when your teeth are ready." In Orthodontics, the specialists use slow continuous force (pressure) on the teeth to move them. Therefore everyone's case is different depending on the severity of the case, density of bone, and the individual. These days, my Dad and other Orthodontists place small elastics that are multi colored and even glow in the dark! Back in my day, the early 80's, we only had silver or clear to hold our arch wire on our brackets. Now, kids cannot wait to come in for their monthly adjustments, so they can change out their colors. At Christmas, green and red are obviously the hot colors. Easter calls for pastels. My Dad's "Goth" teenagers love the steel grey and black. School colors are a favorite as well.
My father, Dr. James P. Bloom, DDS, an orthodontist who taught at the UAB School of Dentistry for 18 years, will soon visit our site as a guest blogger. I am sure you will find it informative as well as entertaining. Stay tuned!
Dr. Helen Bloom Smith
President, Dr. Bloom Inc.
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