If you’ve considered orthodontic treatment, perhaps you’ve been dreaming of having a perfectly straight smile that looks natural yet highlights your best features.
Orthodontic treatment is worth considering because it can improve your appearance. However, getting braces or Invisalign doesn’t just help you have straighter teeth—it has a few other important benefits as well.
How else can orthodontics benefit your overall health and wellbeing?
Lower Risk for Jaw Pain
Misaligned teeth or a misaligned bite can cause discomfort that goes beyond being self- conscious of your smile. If your bite is out of alignment due to misaligned teeth, you may develop jaw pain around your temporomandibular joints or in the muscles that support them [1].
Bringing your teeth into alignment and correcting your bite can help lower your risk for developing jaw pain and TMJ-related issues, giving you your best chance to have not just a beautiful smile, but a pain-free one too.
Better Oral Health
Receiving orthodontic treatment to bring teeth into alignment can also result in better oral health post-treatment [2]. When your teeth are crowded or crooked, it can be more difficult to properly clean them when brushing and flossing, which can predispose patients to tooth decay and gum disease.
However, by straightening your teeth, you make it easier to brush and floss so you can have a cleaner, healthier smile and potentially reduce your risk for oral disease.
Improved Speech and Digestion
Some patients struggle with their speech as a result of misaligned or crowded teeth. Getting braces or Invisalign helps shift teeth into their proper positions, which can make it easier to properly pronounce words and correct speech impediments post-treatment [3]. If you have had trouble chewing because of misaligned jaws or teeth, orthodontics may help here, too.
People with malocclusions may have less bite force, reduced chewing cycles, and reduced chewing stroke count, which can impact how well food is chewed and prepared for digestion [4]. Therefore, orthodontic treatment may just help improve your chewing and digestion post-treatment.
More Confidence
Of course, orthodontic treatment can give you straighter teeth and a more natural-looking bite. But it can also result in a significant increase in self-esteem and improve your quality of life [5]. After all, having beautiful, straight teeth with a lower risk for tooth decay, gum disease, jaw pain, and speech or digestion issues is certainly something to smile about!
Considering Straighter Teeth?
Are you considering orthodontics for straighter teeth? There’s no better time than now to have the smile of your dreams. Book a consultation with an experienced orthodontist to see how your smile will look post-treatment and what benefits you can expect from straighter teeth.
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553375/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3484829/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22299107/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6851783/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8600842/
