About This Quiz
If you've got a mouthful of crooked, mismatched chompers, don't fret. You're not alone, and this quiz will help you figure out how to get that straight, beautiful smile of your dreams.Malocclusion is a generic term for misaligned teeth. Most people have some sort of malocclusion, but not everyone seeks treatment for it.
It's hard to believe, but braces have been around since ancient times. Historians think that the earliest braces were made of base metals and catgut. Imaging that in your mouth!
Angle became a dentist in 1876 and was a professor of orthodontics for a while before deciding in 1899 to concentrate solely on practicing orthodontics as a doctor.
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After undergrad comes four years of dentistry school and then two to three years of orthodontics school -- so six to seven years total.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends kids first see an orthodontist by age 7. An orthodontist might be able to detect jaw or bite problems early and start fixing them before they become serious.
The American Association of Orthodontists says that about 1 in 5 patients are adults, so around 20 percent.
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Patients typically see their orthodontist about every 6 weeks to 12 weeks.
It all depends on why you're wearing braces. It's a good possibility you'll be in braces for more than a year, but you could also get lucky and be able to remove them within a few months.
Straight teeth are easier to clean, so you definitely have less chance of developing gum disease if you see an orthodontist.
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According to the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, it will cost about $2,000 for a child's full course of treatment. Adult patients can expect to shell out more than $5,000.