Teeth Whitening Procedure
Orthodontic treatment is the use of devices such as braces to align a person’s teeth or jaw. Usually, when most people opt for orthodontic treatment, it is more than likely for cosmetic reasons. They either want to straighten crooked teeth, close large gaps, align teeth and lips, or fix some bite issues. While orthodontic treatment is great for aesthetics, it goes beyond making you look good and benefits your overall oral health. Here are five ways that orthodontic treatment can improve your dental health.
Prevent decay
When you have crooked teeth it is almost impossible to brush out all the food that may be stuck in the crevices of your teeth. The gradual accumulation of food bits leads to plaque build-up which can wreak havoc on your dental health. When plaque builds up, it produces an acid that is strong enough to break down your tooth enamel. Consequently, people with crooked or overlapping teeth tend to be more prone to decay as compared to their counterparts with straight teeth which are easier to clean. With orthodontic treatment, you can straighten your teeth and help protect them from decay.
Prevent gum disease
The bacteria produced by plaque are also notorious for attacking the gums. Crowded teeth are the perfect harbor for bacteria that are known to cause gum disease. When plaque spreads between the gum line, the bacteria causes the tissue and bone that supports the teeth to break down. Your orthodontist can recommend treatment to help align and straighten crowded teeth. When you have straight well-aligned teeth you can floss more thoroughly which helps to maintain the health of your gums.
Prevent bone erosion
Jaw bone erosion is known to occur when there are no teeth to support. Often misaligned teeth do not have an opposing tooth structure. This causes the unopposed tooth to dig into the gum and cause bone deterioration. In some cases, erosion occurs when there are large spaces between the teeth caused by misalignment. Braces will fix the alignment of your teeth and make it very unlikely for your jawbone to erode.
Slow down Wear and Tear
Because of misaligned teeth, you’ll often find yourself using one side of your mouth more than the other which leads to irregular tooth wear. What you might notice is that the teeth on one side of your mouth are wearing down faster than the other. Fortunately, misaligned teeth can be corrected with braces that will help slow down, and even out wear and tear of your teeth.
Correcting your bite
Whether you have an over, under, or crossbite, orthodontic treatment can help to realign your jaw to fix your bite. Misaligned jaws can lead to a disease called TMJ. TMJ affects the way teeth chew and grind together, and also causes other symptoms such as headaches and lockjaw. There are orthodontic treatments to help guide your jaws back into place which could spare you the pain from an aching jaw and teeth due to TMJ.
According to Lemchen & Salzer, an orthodontist in New York, while orthodontic treatment is great for perfecting your smile there are lots of other reasons why you should consider setting up an appointment for a treatment consultation. After all, you only get one set of teeth and it is very important to take care of them.
