What Are the Benefits of Braces Besides Straight Teeth
More and more people today are choosing braces treatment. The most obvious benefit of wearing braces is their ability to create a beautiful smile. A great-looking smile can do wonders for self-esteem, which is a tremendous benefit for children and adults alike.
Here at Kaplan Orthodontics, we specialize in creating smiles and love it! But aesthetics is not the only reason you should fix improperly aligned teeth. There are a multitude of other benefits to wearing braces that are not cosmetic in nature. We put together this guide to examine a few. Before we do that, we need to provide some general braces basics.
Braces Basics
Traditional braces consist of metal brackets that are attached to your teeth and tied together by wires and tiny rubber bands. These work by exerting a little bit of pressure in a specific direction, gradually moving teeth into their correct positions. The amount of pressure exerted on the teeth also helps to reshape the jawline.
Ceramic and lingual braces are similar to traditional braces but are less visible options.
Invisalign is a popular system for straightening teeth that uses a series of removable clear plastic aligners.
The average amount of time for orthodontic treatment is generally anywhere between 18-36 months depending on each patient’s individual needs and treatment plan.
Benefits of Braces
Orthodontic treatment can be beneficial to correct a number of dental issues such as:
- overlapping or crowded teeth
- difficulties with chewing
- misaligned teeth or jaws
- teeth that have excessive spacing
- excessive wear and tear of teeth
The following are some of the lesser-known benefits of braces:
Better Oral Health
Brushing and flossing thoroughly should be a regular part of your daily hygiene routine, but that can be harder to accomplish when your teeth are crooked, crowded, or overlapping. This creates conditions that are favorable for plaque to build up and bacteria to thrive. When plaque and bacteria are allowed to exist unchecked in the mouth, they can cause issues such as the following:
- bad breath
- tooth decay
- gum disease
- cavities
- gingivitis
Braces can put teeth in the correct positions, alleviating overcrowding and crooked teeth. This makes dental hygiene easier and will help you to avoid unhealthy teeth and gums.
Better Overall Health
The risk of gum disease is increased by having crowded or crooked teeth. If a person does have gum disease, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and create inflammation and secondary infections. Additionally, misaligned teeth can create difficulty in biting and chewing food, which can negatively your overall health and nutrition.
Better Chewing
Teeth and jaws that are out of alignment can make it difficult to bite and chew food properly. Experiencing this over a prolonged period of time can cause the teeth to wear out. As this problem persists, the muscles of the jaws may begin to weaken. This kind of jaw weakening can lead to painful chewing, further exacerbating the problem.
Better Digestion
Painful chewing due to tooth or jaw pain can cause people to avoid certain healthy foods. This inability for proper chewing can also have a detrimental effect on the digestive system. The teeth play an instrumental role in the digestive process, which begins when the teeth begin grinding the food. Misaligned teeth have a great deal of trouble breaking food down properly, causing food to take longer passing through the digestive system.
Better Speech
Depending on the type and severity of a person’s malocclusion, misaligned teeth may impact how a person speaks, potentially resulting in a speech impediment. The most common problems are lisps (problems forming c, z, s, t’s and the “th” sound) along with whistling. The more severe the malocclusion the more pronounced the speech impediment.
Better Bone Structure
Misaligned teeth and jaw issues often go hand in hand. A buildup of tartar and plaque between misaligned teeth and along the gum line can weaken the jawbone. This can lead to gum swelling, bleeding, and loose teeth. If a tooth happens to fall out, the gums can further erode. The same thing can occur when there are noticeable gaps or spaces between the teeth. Excessive pressure on the jawbone because of tooth misalignment can also result in a similar level of bone erosion which can have the following effects:
- painful chewing
- headaches
- jaw popping and/or pain
- sleep disorders
- future jaw corrective surgery
Orthodontic treatment properly aligns the teeth and jaws, eliminating these kinds of issues.
Braces with Kaplan Orthodontics
At Kaplan Orthodontics, we love our patients and want you to have a memorable experience! We are happy to offer a free consultation to determine if orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign is right for you. We invite you to visit our comfortable, state-of-the-art office in Dunwoody.
We take pride in our outstanding care for each one of our patients and family members. We hope to see you soon!