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  1. This project demonstrates the course objective of “knowing the stages of bone development and repair” through the orthodontic treatment of braces. It is illustrated via a comic of the movement of teeth and repair of the bone during the braces treatment. While braces are used to correct a misaligned smile, the process is much more in-depth and deals with bone than just the cosmetic look of your teeth. The metal braces are made from brackets that are attached to each tooth and are then connected with an archwire, as seen in the comic. This works by the braces applying pressure on the teeth and that force causes the periodontal ligament, which is the tissue that surrounds the lower part of the tooth, to compress and stretch allowing the tooth to loosen. Along with the ligament, braces also change the alveolar bone that our teeth sit in. On the side of the tooth where the compression is happening, the bone is being broken down and reabsorption is happening via cells called osteoclasts. On the side of the tooth where the braces are causing tension, bone formation is happening via cells called osteoblasts. This orthodontic treatment relates to the course objective “knowing the stages of bone development and repair” by detailing the process in which bones are formed and reabsorbed via osteoblast and osteoclast activity due to the compression and tension of the braces on the teeth.

    Hayley Whitlock

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