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Not only can orthodontic treatments make your smile look beautiful, but they can also improve your oral health in several ways. We explore five benefits of straighter teeth here.
Orthodontic treatments such as braces and clear aligners work to straighten your teeth and correct “bad bites'' (malocclusions) to give you a beautiful new smile. And while the cosmetic results certainly are desirable, the goal of orthodontics is actually much broader.
Treatments such as braces, clear aligners, and retainers can correct problems such as wide gaps, overcrowding, misalignments, and other dental issues.
At Hanachi Orthodontics in Gastonia and Mooresville, North Carolina, Farid Hanachi, DDS, PA, and the rest of our team are passionate about how orthodontics impacts your overall oral health.
In this blog, we discuss five benefits of straighter teeth:
1. Having straight teeth makes them easier to clean
If your smile has many wide gaps or if your teeth overlap one another, it gives bacteria and plaque the perfect place to hide and grow. Once the bacteria and plaque build-up, cavities and other dental issues get the chance to develop.
If your teeth are straight, it’s easier to clean them thoroughly.
2. Having straight teeth decreases the chances of tooth loss
As we just established, teeth that are straight and in proper alignment are much easier to clean. Because of that, it reduces your risk of cavities. Not only does your chance of cavity development decrease, but it also mitigates the risk of severe tooth decay and gum disease.
Untreated tooth decay and gum disease can lead to permanent tooth loss. When you’re missing permanent teeth, spending lots of time and money on expensive dental procedures to replace those missing teeth becomes necessary.
3. Having straight teeth improves chewing and speech function
If your teeth don’t fit together correctly when you bite down, they become vulnerable to chipping and other signs of wear. Even the bones that support your teeth can start to break down, making it difficult to talk or chew food properly.
Going through orthodontic treatment reduces your risk of problems with chewing food thoroughly or being able to speak clearly.
4. Having straight teeth reduces pain from TMJ disorders
When your teeth don’t fit together correctly, or your jawbone isn’t in the proper place, it increases your risk for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. These disorders cause pain and clicking in your jaw and can also cause headaches.
Once your teeth and jaw are placed correctly, the jaw pain and headaches should dissipate.
5. Having straight teeth diminishes the risk of injury
A type of malocclusion that orthodontics can treat is called an overbite. This happens when your upper teeth stick out far over your bottom teeth. When your upper teeth jet out like this, they are vulnerable to injury, especially if you play high-contact sports.
Correcting this bite reduces your risk of injury and permanent damage to your teeth.
Contact our office to schedule an appointment to get started with orthodontic treatment. You can do this over the phone or online today.