We’re pleased that one of our very own dentists was the guest on CTV Morning Live’s “Ask An Expert” segment on March 22, 2017.
Dr. Trevor Treasure, provided information about some of the non-cosmetic reasons for Orthodontics in a video segment with Keri Adams.
Watch the video, or you can read the transcript below.
Keri Adams: we all want to have a beautiful smile but there are health benefits to having dental treatment as well. Here with more is Dr Trevor Treasure. Good morning Trevor, thanks for being here this morning.
Dr. Trevor Treasure: Good morning Keri, thanks for having me
KA: Well we know that a lot of people get different kinds of orthodontic procedures or treatments because they want to improve the look of their smile. But there are some health benefits as well – tell us a little about that
TT: Yes, certainly. So um when our teeth are not properly aligned it can affect our chewing efficiency, digestion, sometimes our speech — speech distortions can occur. And certainly oral hygiene, when the teeth are crooked and close together it makes brushing and flossing very difficult and can lead to periodontal disease and early tooth loss later in life.
KA: That can be difficult to manage. So what does orthodontic care encompass exactly?
TT: So you have to have the proper diagnosis and so a dental professional would take a clinical exam and radiographs and then once a diagnosis is obtained a treatment plan is presented to the patient or family, and certain things like brace or removable appliances or even clear aligners can be used for minor types of malocclusions.
KA: So let’s talk about some of the long term benefits of getting treatment then. I mean, immediately you have braces or whatever and that would last a year or so?
TT: Sometimes, it depends. Younger individuals can complete treatment quicker. Adults sometimes take a little bit longer — it depends on the difficulty. And one of the ideas of orthodontics is to try to intercept problems. It’s always better to prevent a health problem than to treat it afterwards. So you can start treatment at a young age and have a lifetime of a nice smile and stable dental occlusion that can lead to many positive health benefits, absolutely.
KA: You have a couple models here I just want to show
TT: Yes, yes.
KA: These are braces and I think a lot of people associate orthodontics with the typical braces, but there are other things as well. My daughter has a palate expander and you were talking about something else that’s—
TT: Clear aligners are something that you can use for adult patients that are replaced frequently to move the teeth into place. It all depends on your diagnosis, and certainly a difficult malocclusion would benefit from traditional braces, but sometimes you can use different types of treatment. Orthodontists have a lot of options for treating patients, definitely.
KA: A lot of options out there. So how do you know if you need orthodontic care?
TT: Yes, certainly your dental professional or your family dentist could give a clinical exam and radiographs and certainly they can identify either an existing malocclusion or a developing malocclusion in a child. And again, early treatment is highly beneficial in children to provide stable dental occlusion for a lifetime
KA: Yeah, there are options out there. Thanks for the update!
