orthodontia

Orthodontia is a dental treatment to align teeth, as in My teeth were so crooked that I needed orthodontia to straighten them out.

In dentistry, orthodontia is any treatment designed to straighten misaligned teeth. This most commonly involves using dental braces to slowly move teeth into a desired position. It may also involve surgery to remove problematic teeth as well as the use of other dental appliances such as biteplates and retainers.

Orthodontia is also the branch of dentistry concerned with correcting misaligned teeth. The branch is also called orthodontics.

Orthodontia is normally applied to children and young adults because bone growth and structure are more easily manipulated before adulthood. Adults can also have orthodontic work done, although it may take longer and cost more.

Example: Both of my kids needed orthodontia to straighten their teeth.

The first records of the term orthodontia come from around the 1840s. It combines the combining form orth-, meaning “straight” or “upright,” the combining form -odont, meaning “having teeth,” and the suffix -ia, which is used to create nouns that denote a certain quality. These terms literally combine to mean “The quality of having straight teeth,” but it is normally used in reference to the treatment of the teeth.

What are some other forms related to orthodontia?

• orthodonture (noun)

What are some synonyms for orthodontia?

• orthodontics 

What are some words that share a root or word element with orthodontia? 

• orthopedic
• orthodontist
• orthodontics

What are some words that often get used in discussing orthodontia?

• teeth
• surgery
• braces
• straightening
• dental

Orthodontia and orthodontics are for all intents and purposes synonyms. However, orthodontia is usually used to specifically refer to the treatment itself while orthodontics usually refers to the field, study, and practice of performing the treatment.

Modern special effects can do just about anything, but one incredibly distracting uncanny valley remains: the row upon row of straight, bright, white, heavily orthodontia'd teeth in TV and movie characters who'd *never* have been able to afford or maintain them.

— Stephen Thompson (@idislikestephen) October 20, 2019

Can’t believe I’m 30 years old and I have to pay someone $100 to remove a piece of my childhood orthodontia….braces never stop being a racket

— Rebecca Baird-Remba (@thecitywanderer) September 7, 2020

The 7yo is in the early stages of orthodontia and can't have certain candies right now, so obviously I am doing her an enormous favor if I simply eat all the Starburst out of her easter basket so it doesn't tempt her. Definitely lunch of champions.

— Kate Cox (@KCoxDC) May 4, 2021

True or False?

Dental braces are used in orthodontia.