Straight Teeth – It’s Not Just About a Pretty Smile: The Medical Benefits of Braces
At Iqaluit Dental Clinic, we know that everyone wants a pretty smile. It makes you feel good and confident about yourself and can improve your social life in many ways. However, that’s not the only reason for getting braces. Obtaining aligned and straight teeth with the help of braces has a lot of medical benefits. From improving your digestion to reducing the risk of cavities. Let’s check them out.
1. Cleaning your teeth is easier – Over-crowded or crooked teeth are very difficult to clean. Sometimes, there are hidden pockets that can’t be reached by the brush. Other times, two adjacent teeth create restrictions and make certain parts of your teeth less accessible for the bristles of the toothbrush. This results in higher plaque formation and accumulation in those areas.
Contrary to that, straight teeth are much easier to brush and floss. The micrographs between adjacent teeth are perfect for the floss string to reach the deepest parts of the teeth and remove plaque. There’s also more room for the toothbrush to reach each and every part of your teeth for more effective cleaning. That results in fewer cavities and other oral problems. Apart from that, when you can clean your teeth and oral cavity more easily, there are fewer bacteria that cause bad breath. You can even avoid serious conditions like periodontal disease in the long term.
2. Better digestion – When you get your teeth straightened and aligned, you get a proper bite. That’s simply not possible with overcrowded or crooked teeth. Your upper or lower jaw or certain sections of it are always over or under each other and that makes each bite inconsistent and inefficient. When you straighten your teeth with braces or aligners and get a proper bite, chewing and biting becomes easier. Your gums and jaw muscles don’t need to overcompensate for a poor bite and chewing capacity.
When you chew food properly, the food gets broken down into tinier bits and that makes digestion easier. You can enjoy all your meals without discomfort or pain and there are fewer instances of food getting stuck in the inaccessible pockets of your teeth. This again makes cleaning your teeth easier apart from improving your digestion.
3. Healthy gums – When you have crooked teeth, you have an improper bite. That means some of your teeth have to endure more pressure than the rest and in turn, those teeth exert more pressure on your gums. Moreover, since the teeth are crooked, they exert pressure on your gums at weird angles and can cause them to get red or inflamed repeatedly.
This makes your teeth more prone to gum disease. Maintaining your gum health is very important since bacteria from infected gums can travel to other parts of your body and cause all sorts of problems. The easiest way to achieve that is to get a straight smile. You’ll be at a lower risk of gum diseases when your gums get a better fit around your teeth. Healthy gums make up a significant fraction of your overall oral health.
4. Teeth are less prone to being worn down – Crooked or overcrowded teeth are always up against each other at the most awkward and damaging angles. Even when you aren’t moving your mouth, these teeth exert unnecessary pressure and always rub against each other. This results in abnormal wear and tear. In severe cases, your healthy and aligned tooth can even get weakened and get jutted out of the gums. However, that’s not where the problems end.
When you don’t have straight teeth, they get worn down more easily when you eat hard food like hard candies, jerky, dark chocolate and tough meat. Your teeth are more prone to getting chipped or cracked. Moreover, as your crooked teeth are unaligned and are always at odds with the gums, they get weakened at the roots and are more likely to fall out during impacts or accidents. While you can’t avoid accidents, you can always strengthen your teeth by straightening them. That way your teeth are less likely to get chipped or cracked and will stay healthy and beautiful for a longer time.
5. Avoid neck and head pain – It’s already established that crooked teeth create uneven pressure and discomfort. People with crooked and unaligned teeth are more likely to miss their bite and injure the insides of their cheeks or bite into their tongues. However, that’s the least of your problems. When you have uneven pressure distribution on the jawline, chronic pressure affects you during sleep.
That’s why people with unaligned teeth are more likely to suffer from chronic headaches and migraines in the morning. If it happens in kids, it can lead to developmental issues. Correcting the alignment of your teeth is an easy fix to get rid of uneven pressure. With straight teeth, your jaw muscles also get a break. They can rest easy and stay more relaxed. There would be fewer clenching and teeth grinding to deal with. This also helps to relieve the unnecessary stress on the jaw joints that get weakened with age.
6. Improved mental health – When you straighten your teeth, you feel more self-confident and can increase your self-esteem. Research shows that crooked teeth keep people from smiling more often in public and affects the way they feel about themselves. With straightened teeth, you don’t need to feel embarrassed about your smile. Building relationships and connections with the people around you also becomes easier. This can have an immensely positive effect on your mental health. With a straight smile, you don’t need to hold back while expressing yourself.
At Iqaluit Dental Clinic, we suggest that you get braces if you have crooked teeth and do the same for your children at an early age. Straight teeth don’t just increase your vanity points, but also bring the above-mentioned health benefits. You’ll be at a lower risk of cavities and other oral diseases.