With the intent of saving money, or because they want their orthodontic treatment to be as simple as possible, some patients request braces for just their top or bottom teeth. Are you curious about whether you are a candidate for single-arch traditional braces in East Hartford? Unfortunately, most people are not. In the vast majority of cases, full-mouth treatment is necessary to achieve optimal results. Below, we discuss why this is so.
Motivations for Single-Arch Treatment
Typically, the patients who are most interested in single-arch treatment are those whose dental misalignment causes their smile to look less than its best. For example, because the top teeth are most visible when you smile, you might be interested in top-only treatment. Other patients have crookedness or crowding on their bottom teeth and believe that their top teeth can stay right where they are.
While single-arch treatment is possible in some cases, it is usually not ideal. This is true even if it seems like one row of teeth is already well-aligned.
Why Is Double-Arch Treatment Usually Necessary?
Full-mouth treatment is usually necessary because repositioning one row of teeth and not the other has the potential to cause bite problems. For example, addressing crowding on the top row might shift the teeth backward. If the bottom teeth stay where they are, any existing underbite will likely worsen. Along the same lines, moving the top teeth forward to correct spacing issues might worsen an overbite.
A misaligned bite can be a serious problem. It can make it more difficult for you to eat a wide variety of foods. It also has the potential to cause jaw pain and even TMJ disorder. Additionally, facial aesthetics are likely to be negatively affected.
Of course, just because double-arch treatment is usually best does not mean that top and bottom braces are always placed in the mouth at the same time. Since the top teeth usually move slower than the bottom ones, top braces are often installed a few months earlier than bottom ones. The extent of misalignment on each arch can also have a bearing on the timing for braces placement.
Benefits of Full-Mouth Braces
When you commit to double-arch orthodontic treatment, you allow your dentist or orthodontist to follow a custom, precise treatment plan that aims to benefit you in some significant ways:
- Typically, smiles look best after both the top and bottom arches receive treatment.
- Treating both arches at once is the most efficient way to address misalignment. It is also much more cost effective than treating one arch and going back to treat the other one later on.
Whether you receive double- or single-arch orthodontic treatment, you can trust your care team’s recommendations as you look forward to achieving a straighter, healthier smile.
Meet the Practice
Comprehensive Dental Associates of Central Connecticut is home to a large team of general dentists and specialists, including an on-staff orthodontist. To learn how our team may be able to help you straighten your teeth and improve your oral health, contact us at 860-288-5786.