BENEFITS OF BRACES OR CLEAR ALIGNERS

What’s Healthy About Having Braces or Clear Aligners?

Many patients choose to receive orthodontic treatment for the aesthetic purpose of straightening their teeth and improving their smile. Another bonus to having straight teeth is the health benefits that they provide. However, many do not know what exactly these health benefits are.  There are numerous benefits to having straight teeth; some are obvious, and others are not.  Some of the benefits are outlined below.

A Healthy Smile Leads to More Self-Esteem.

Getting braces or clear laigners from Dublin Orthodontics and achieving straight teeth automatically helps improve self-esteem in most of our patients.  We have seen hundreds of our patients transformed into much more confident people by having a beautiful smile.  As Joseph Addison said, “What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity”. Smiling is contagious, and the energy that smiles generate makes everyone feel better.

Straight Teeth are Easier to Clean.

Straight teeth, aside from looking better, are easier to keep clean. Whether the teeth are overlapped, overcrowded, or hard to reach, food (and thus plaque) may build up because it cannot be reached by a toothbrush or floss. This buildup of plaque can lead to cavities, discolored teeth, and bad breath. More serious problems including tooth decay and gum disease can be caused by a buildup of plaque. By simply aligning your teeth with braces or clear aligners, all surface areas of the teeth will then be easily accessible and can be brushed and flossed effectively.

Oral Hygiene Promotes a Healthy Body.

There is medical evidence that supports the fact that poor oral health may contribute to a variety of physical maladies beyond the mouth. These maladies include diabetes, stroke, heart disease and complications for pregnant women. Bacteria and plaque from the mouth can enter the bloodstream, the lungs, and the digestive system, thus affecting the entire immune system. Crooked teeth can also cause patients to have problems eating. When teeth are not aligned properly, it can be difficult to bite into hard, chewy, and crunchy foods. This problem can cause patients to stop eating certain types of foods, even if they are healthy and provide daily needed nutrition.  Dublin Orthodontics encourages oral hygiene – and works with and strongly recommends continuing your visits to your general dentist.

Less Injuries to the Teeth.

Crooked teeth tend to chip or break more easily than teeth that are in alignment. This is because the upper and lower rows of teeth receive more stress over time from grinding against each other when they are crooked. Protruding teeth also tend to receive more force while biting down, rather than the pressure being more evenly applied across the even rows of teeth. Braces and clear aligners correct these misalignment problems and ensure a healthy, straight, functional set of teeth for a lifetime.

Less Stress to the Jaw Bones.

When teeth are crooked or crowded, the functionality of the jaw is also compromised. This can not only lead to abnormal wear and tear on the teeth, but also cause discomfort or pain to the jaw. This pain might occur due to an imbalance between the jaw bones and their muscles and connective tissue. Chewing, biting and speaking abilities are optimized when you have straight teeth. By straightening your teeth, the pain will subside because your teeth and jaw bones will be aligned to work at their optimal effectiveness.

Braces and Clear Alginers May Help Reduce Gum Recession in Some Cases.

It is possible that braces or clearlaigners can help reduce gum recession, but mainly if tooth extraction and narrowing your arch is the treatment plan.  For most cases however, including arch expansion (very common), there is no improvement in gum recession and in fact, the expansion of the jaw with braces or clear aligners could actually cause additional gum recession.  Be careful if a general dentist or other practitioner is recommending clear aligners and stating that this will improve or reduce gum recession.  This is likely untrue and gum recession cannot be reversed.  While gum recession cannot be reversed, make sure you brush less aggressively to stop further recession.