The field of orthodontics made over 3 billion dollars last year. Perfectly straight teeth are a much-desired characteristic in America. Straight teeth make you more presentable and may even help you land a job.
But are there other benefits of straight teeth besides cosmetic appearance, and if so what are they? Why should you invest in the benefits of braces?
In this article, you’ll learn about nine reasons you should invest in straight teeth and more about the types of braces available to you.
Seeing an Orthodontist
An orthodontist is a type of dentist that specializes in aligning teeth using a variety of dental methods and techniques. While dentists provide orthodontic procedures, seeing an orthodontist like the ones at Garn Mason Orthodontics is your best bet to getting the smile you’re looking for. The main methods used to straighten teeth are metal braces or Invisalign.
The benefits of braces are that they work well. Historically speaking, they’re a time-honored method and many people achieve a straighter smile through metal braces. Metal braces can take more time, depending on your case, and may cause some discomfort due to the metal brackets.
There are other types of braces like ceramic or lingual braces which are attached to the back of the teeth instead of the front. They work similarly to metal braces.
Another option is Invisalign which is a dental treatment that uses clear plastic aligners to shift your teeth. One of the benefits of Invisalign is that the aligners are clear and provide transparency while being more comfortable. Invisalign treatment is typically shorter than metal braces, but it all depends on the individual’s case.
9 Benefits of Straight Teeth
There are health benefits to having straight teeth that perhaps you didn’t know. Here are nine reasons why having straight teeth leads to healthy teeth and gums.
1. Healthy Teeth
One of the main benefits of straight teeth is that it improves the overall health of your teeth. Crooked teeth tend to lay on top of each other making cleaning the surface area of the tooth almost impossible.
With straight teeth, the entire surface area of your tooth is exposed. This makes eliminating plaque, bacteria, and other build-ups much easier. Flossing is easier as well since the floss glides smoothly through aligned teeth.
2. Gum Health
Straight teeth can also help your gum health. Bacteria and plaque don’t affect just your teeth, but your gums as well. Lingering bacteria can cause periodontal diseases like gingivitis.
When periodontal diseases progress, you can potentially suffer from bone loss in your jaw. Not only that, but you can lose your teeth as well.
3. Fewer Cavities
Because straighter teeth are easier to clean, this means a lack of cavities when you commit to consistent brushing, flossing, and checkups. Cavities are the cause of many instances of dental decay.
Untreated cavities also lead to higher dental bills, more dental trips, and even pain.
4. Better Chewing
Chewing your food well leads to better digestion and nutrient absorption in your body. Unchewed food causes stress on your digestive system. When you have misaligned teeth, you cannot chew properly.
With straight teeth, you can chew your food well, help your digestive system, and receive all the nutrients from your food.
5. Speaking
Crooked teeth can make it difficult to speak clearly and can hinder communication. Even if you have crooked teeth and speak well, you may develop speech problems later in life. Crooked teeth may also lead to losing teeth, which affects your speech as well.
To improve your communication and your speech, getting orthodontic work done to straighten your teeth aids in your ability to speak clearly. This also boosts your confidence in speaking with others as well.
6. Less Injury
Protruding or crooked teeth may lead to injury. If you have a tooth injury or it becomes damaged, cracked, or chipped, there are ways to fix it, but they can cost you. In some cases, the tooth may be so damaged that saving it isn’t possible.
Having straight teeth lessens the chances of injury. This means less pain and dental bills.
7. Healthier Jaw
A healthy jaw keeps your teeth stabilized, but a jaw is only as healthy as your teeth. Misalignment of teeth may cause a dental problem like temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ. This is a painful disorder of the jaw that causes headaches, dizziness, earaches, and other types of pain.
Straightening your teeth and correcting your jaw alignment greatly reduces the possibility of TMJ. It also corrects your bite so your teeth sit in a more favorable position.
8. Less Pain
Crooked or crowded teeth often lead to pain in the jaw, head, and neck. This is because they push on each other and put added stress on the jaw.
Taking pain medications daily to offset the pain can be bad for your health. Instead, consider aligning your teeth to combat the pain and get a healthier smile.
9. Longevity
Straight teeth have more staying power. Because they’re not crowded or crooked, they’re easier to care for and will be easier to maintain. They’re not rubbing up against each other, so they stay smooth.
The straighter your teeth, the fewer problems with them you’ll likely have. This means you won’t have as many dental trips or bills.
Enjoy the Benefits of Straight Teeth
The benefits of straight teeth go well beyond improving your self-esteem or the look of your teeth. They offer you healthier teeth and gums that you can enjoy for years to come.
There are other ways for you to keep your mouth healthy and strong. Read more on our health page today!
