Not everyone born to have perfect alignment and this is why orthodontics occurs. Orthodontics is a specialty discipline of dentistry that focuses on alignment of the teeth and jaws. It can improve a person’s appearance as well as oral health. Then who need orthodontics treatment?

People may require orthodontics treatment for the following problems:

Malocclusion: Malocclusion literally means bad bite. Some people’s jaws and teeth develop improperly. It refers to crooked, misaligned teeth and a fault in the relation between the bottom and top set of teeth. The malocclusion conditions include overbite (deep bite), underbite, crossbite, open bite, misplaced midline.

Overbite (Deep bite) – when the teeth are clenched, the upper ones come down over the lower ones too much.

Underbite – where the lower teeth are too far forward or the upper teeth too far back (a "bulldog" appearance)

Crossbite – at least one of the upper teeth does not come down slightly in from of the lower teeth when the teeth are clenched; they are too near the cheek or the tongue.

Open bite – when the teeth are clenched, there is an opening between the upper and lower teeth.

Misplaced midline – when the center of your upper front teeth does not line up with the center of your lower front teeth

Crowding – if the patient's jaw is narrow, there may not be enough space for all the teeth. In such cases the orthodontist may have to remove one or more teeth to make room for the others.

Spacing: Everybody has tiny gaps between their teeth. Problems occur when there is an excessive amount of space between teeth. Gaps between teeth look bad, may be tricky to clean, and are prone to decay or damage. Speech problems might also occur.

If you are not sure whether you need orthodontics or not, or if you want to have orthodontic treatment, talk with your dentist or orthodontist. They can determine whether you can benefit from orthodontics with  diagnostic tools, and develop a treatment plan that fits you.