Sutures:

Def: Sutures are Junctions or lines of articulation between adjacent bones of skull

What is a Suture:

A suture is a type of fibrous joint which only occurs in the skull (or “cranium”). They are bound together by Sharpey’s fibres. A tiny amount of movement is permitted at sutures, which contributes to the compliance and elasticity of the skull.

What are the various Sutures Present in the Skull:

1. Coronal suture – Junction between frontal and parietal bones
2. Lambdoid suture – Junction between parietal and occipital bones
3. Occipitomastoid suture – Junction between sphenoid and temporal bones
4. Parietomastoid suture – Junction between parietal and temporal bones
5. Sphenofrontal suture – Junction between sphenoid and frontal bones
6. Sphenoparietal suture – Junction between sphenoid and parietal bones
7. Sphenosquamosal suture – Junction between sphenoid and temporal bones
8. Sphenozygomatic suture -  Junction between sphenoid and zygomatic bones
9. Squamosal suture – Junction between the parietal and the temporal bone
10. Zygomaticotemporal suture – Junction between Zygomatic and temporal bones
11. Zygomaticofrontal suture – Junction between Zygomatic and Frontal bone

The infant Skull has 45 bones which occur many changes and suture closure changes take place and the Adult Skull has 22 Bones. So there are close to 20 sutures in the Skull.

Th various terms which are used to depict the closure of Sutures either pathological or physiological.

Synchondrosis:

• Fusion of 2 adjacent bones by a cartilage.
• Ex: Spheno-Occipital

Synostosis:

• Early closure of a suture or early fusion of 2 adjacent bones by a bone.
• Ex: Symphysis menti

Syndesmosis:

• Fusion of 2 adjacent bones by a fibrous ligament.

They used to be feared by all children due the look which they used to bring. But now there are many advancements in dentistry and this aspect of dentistry has not been left untouched.

Different types of Dental Braces:

1) Traditional Braces: These are the normally  available braces which are mainly Stainless steel braces sometimes with a combination of nickel titanium.

2) Lingual Braces: These are the conventional type of braces but the only difference is that they are placed on the lingual side, that is on the inner side of the teeth. These are mainly used in Adults, and also in patients who are very conscious about their appearance.

3) Self-Ligating Braces: Self-ligating braces are similar to traditional orthodontic braces in their material make-up and have the same basic function. Self-ligating means that the bracket can basically tie itself to the archwire.

4) Invisalign Braces: Clear plastic braces that consists of plastic trays or what is commonly called aligners, these are mainly used as it has the transparent appearance.

5) Titanium braces: These are made up of Titanium metal rather than the usually used Stainless steel, these are used in patients who are allergic to Stainless steel, and the other properties of titanium alloy are it is light in weight and stronger. And the main factor is that it is costlier then the other metals.

6) Gold Braces: These are made up of Gold metal but the main use is in patients who are allergic to other metals.

7) Ceramic Braces: These are more popular among teenagers due to their aesthetic values.

Orthodontics is a specialized branch of dentistry that corrects malocclusion and restores the teeth to proper alignment and function, mainly with the help of braces.

According to wikipedia: Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions (improper bites), which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both. The word comes from the Greek words ortho meaning straight and odons meaning tooth.

According to IDA(Indian dental association): Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. The technical term for these problems is “malocclusion,” which means “bad bite.” The practice of orthodontics requires professional skill in the design, application and control of corrective appliances such as braces, so as to bring teeth, lips and jaws into proper alignment, to achieve facial balance and esthetics.

Many feel orthodontic devices to be a big torture as they interfere with their daily lives and spoil the aesthetics of the face and smile, and many people i saw forget to smile during their orthodontic treatment but are always smiling to show off their new improved set of teeth and an improved smile after the treatment.

Braces-These are the corrective appliances used to bring the teeth,
jaw bone, jaw joints and lips and musculature into proper
alignment mainly to improve the aesthetics of a person.
Basically the word braces is a layman’s term used for orthodontic
braces which are made of medical grade stainless steel metal totally harmless to our oral cavity.

Orthodontics- It is a branch of dentistry dealing with prevention
and correcting of irregular arranged teeth with malocclusion, Retrognathism, Prognathism of the jaw and teeth, by means of braces.

There comes the need for orthodontic treatment when one has crooked
and overlapping teeth or in case of wide gaps or in people with
malocclusion as they cause destructive dental plaque, cavities
and gingivitis etc..
Many people simply go for braces to look good when they are not satisfied with their teeth and want to look better.

Used when- crowding, overlapping, malocclusion, gaps,
thumb n finger sucking, mouth breathing, Prognathism, Retrognathism etc

Other Information-They are usually suggested at the age of 10-12
after all the deciduous teeth are shed off
but teeth can be pulled together at any  age hence people of all age
group can undergo the treatment, but most preferably the lower the age the better.

Types of braces: There are many types of braces according to the patients requirements

Metal braces, ceramic(aesthetically tooth colored), lingual braces.

Components- It deals with brackets which are fixed on
tooth labial surface and wires connecting the brackets and molar brackets
molar bands providing support to the wires as the treatment proceeds the
weight of wire goes on increasing starting from a light weight wire, the brackets are pulled together with the help of elastic rubber bands which are used based on the amount of pressure required.
Now a days ceramic braces are being used which are tooth coloured and made of
translucent material due to their cosmetic appeal.

How Braces Work: When the braces are put on the teeth they apply some amount of pressure which enables the bone present in our mandibular and maxillary arches to adjust to the change in the position, as there are osteoclasts which resorb the the bone on the side the teeth are moving  and the osteoblasts which lay down new bone on the side where the pressure is being applied, so the teeth move approximately 1mm per month but it depends on the patient oral condition and the efficiency of the orthodontist, So we can see a noticeable change in the positioning of the teeth overtime.

Treatment and Post treatment:  During treatment the most important problem is oral hygiene which leads to the formation of plaques in teeth as food is accumulated in  the metal braces, so proper brushing and flossing should be done daily and most preferably after each meal brushing is required.

Sometimes the metal in the braces or the latex material act as an irritant to the patient if he or she is allergic to it, During treatment some types of food are avoided which cause inconvenience to maintain hygiene and can cause damage to the braces, Sticky substances like chewing gum, toffee, hard substances, carrots are avoided.

Post treatment that is when the braces are removed from the mouth of the patient, Retainers are used to prevent the teeth from moving back to their original position(Relapse), So it is better to follow the instructions of the doctor or else the treatment will be prolonged and will be inconvenient to the patient.

The duration of the treatment varies according to the severity of the deformities and  the efficiency of the doctor.