Orthodontics is a dental specialty that deals with diagnosing and treating misaligned teeth and jaws. It focuses on correcting bite issues through applying forces to teeth to move them into proper position. The overall goals of orthodontic treatment are to improve function, maintain structural balance between dental arches and facial tissues, and create aesthetic harmony. Orthodontics can alter the positions of teeth, change underlying bone patterns, and modify surrounding soft tissues.

2. Overview of Orthodontics
DR. RAFIA SHAH
BDS, M.Phil, Msc (Orthodontic trainee).
Lecturer at LUMHS Jamshoro Pakistan

3. What is Orthodontics
Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that deals with
 diagnosis,
prevention
correction of mispositioned teeth and jaws.
It can also focus on modifying facial growth, known as dentofacial
orthopaedics.

4. Definition
Orthodontics includes the study of growth and development of the jaws
and face particularly, and the body generally as influencing the position
of the teeth; the study of action and reaction of internal and external
influences on the development and the prevention and correction of
arrested and perverted development.

5. Branches of Orthodontics
Preventive Orthodontics
Interceptive Orthodontics
Corrective Orthodontics
Surgical Orthodontics

6. Preventive Orthodontics
actions taken to preserve the integrity of what appears normal for that
age

7. Interceptive Orthodontics
Science and art of Orthodontics employed to recognize and eliminate
potential irregularities in the developing dentofacial complex.

8. Corrective Orthodontics
 Recognizes the existence of a malocclusion
 need for employing certain technical procedures to reduce or
eliminate the problem and the associated sequelae.

9. Surgical Orthodontics
It is the combined Orthodontic and Surgical management of severe
dento-facial deformities that cannot be treated by Orthodontic therapy
alone.

10. Aims of Orthodontic treatment
Jackson has summarized the aims and objectives of Orthodontic
treatment,

11. Functional Efficiency
Many malocclusions affect normal functioning of stomatognathic
system.
The orthodontic treatment should thus aim at improving the
functioning of the oro-facial apparatus.

12. Structural Balance
The orofacial regions consists of the
 Dentoalveolar system
 skeletal tissue
 soft tissue including musculature
Stable orthodontic treatment is best achieved by maintaining a balance
between these three tissue systems

13. Aesthetic harmony
Many malocclusions are associated with unsightly appearance of teeth
and can affect the self image of the individual.

14. Unfavourable sequelae of
malocclusion
1.Poor facial appearance: Malocclusion is capable of adversely
affecting the facial appearance of an individual.

15. 2. Risk of caries
Mal-aligned teeth: lead to failure to maintenance oral hygiene , thereby
increasing the risk of caries.

16. 3. Predisposition to periodontal disease
Malocclusion with poor oral hygiene leads to periodontal diseases.Teeth
in traumatic occlusion results in damage to periodontal tissues.

17. 4.Risk of trauma to the Teeth
Severely proclined teeth are often at a high risk of injury either during
games or by accidental fall.

18. 5. Psychological disturbances
Malocclusion affecting adversely the appearance ,makes a person highly
self conscious and turns him into an introvert.

19. 6 . Abnormalities of function
Many malocclusions cause abnormality in the functioning of the
stomatognathic system such as;
improper swallowing,
Difficulty in speech ,
improper respiration, etc.

20. 7. Temporomandibular joint problems
Malocclusion associated with occlusal prematurities and deep bite can
cause TMJ problems such as pain and dysfunction.

21. 8. Interference to the normal growth and
development
The growth of maxilla is restricted by the mandible in skeletal class 3
malocclusion with anterior crossbite.

22. Need for orthodontic
treatment
To improve the aesthetics of an individual.
To reduce the susceptibility to dental caries
To reduce the susceptibility to periodontal diseases.
To reduce the susceptibility to accidental injury.
To correct the abnormal muscle activity.
To correct the abnormal oral habits

23. To manage the temporomandibular joint problems.
To facilitate the prosthetic rehabilitation.
To correct the speech defects.
To intercept and correct the interferences to the normal growth

24. Scope of orthodontic treatment
Orthodontic treatment can bring about changes in
 the dentition ,
the skeletal system
 the enveloping soft tissue.
Thus resulting in;
Alteration of tooth position
a Alteration of the skeletal pattern
Alteration of the soft tissue pattern

25. Alteration in tooth position
Orthodontic treatment is made possible by the fact that teeth can be
moved through the bone to ideal locations by applying appropriate
force on them.

26. Alteration in skeletal pattern
Malocclusion may be related with skeletal disharmony of jaw bones.
Deviations from normal relation of both jaws may rise in abnormal jaw
relationship.
Orthodontist can use orthopaedic forces to bring about changes in
sagittal, vertical and transverse planes.

27. Alteration in soft tissue pattern
The soft tissues that envelope the dentition are greatly influenced by
the position of dentition.
Orthodontic treatment can bring about favourable changes in the soft
tissue pattern.