Your teeth can grow crooked for a number of reasons, whether due to chronic oral habits or factors outside your control like genetics. But if you have teeth that overlap or feature gaps, you might feel self-conscious about the way your smile appears. You might not realize that crooked teeth could pose a risk to your oral health too.
Your dentist can help you amend minor alignment concerns in your smile with clear braces. These custom-made aligners gradually push teeth into your desired straighter position.
You can feel more encouraged to pursue this cosmetic dental solution when you understand the benefits it can provide. Read on to find three benefits you can experience in your smile when you seek teeth-straightening treatment from your dentist.
Simplify Your Oral Hygiene Routine
If you have crooked teeth, you might have trouble reaching all areas of the surface of your teeth when brushing and flossing. Food can also easily become trapped in gaps between teeth. These can contribute to plaque formation.
If plaque lingers on your smile, it eats away at your dental structure. This leaves the teeth weaker and more susceptible to cavities and other dental dangers. You practice oral hygiene to get rid of plaque buildup as well as other residues.
Straightening your teeth will improve your ability to keep your smile clean. Your teeth will no longer block your toothbrush or floss from accessing the entirety of the tooth’s surface. Then you can keep your teeth strong and your mouth feeling fresh. This also helps you prevent bad breath from forming.
Relieve Chronic Jaw Pain
Have you noticed pain in your jaw or difficulty moving your jaw? These oral dysfunctions can point to a problem in the joint of the jaw: temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ). This occurs when tension in the muscles of that area creates inflammation that impacts the joint and its ability to work properly.
Bite problems that stem from dental misalignments can cause TMJ. With crooked teeth, you might distribute uneven pressure as you chew and bite which will create tension that gives you jaw pain and other TMJ-related complications.
TMJ will not go away on its own, so to alleviate discomfort, you should see a dentist to diagnose the root of the problem. If it comes from misaligned teeth, your dentist can help you straighten them. Then you can see relief from TMJ.
Improve Confidence in Your Smile
Crooked teeth can disrupt your ideal straight smile. You can feel a blow to your self-esteem as a result that can lead to a loss in overall confidence in other aspects of your life. A straighter smile can renew your confidence so that you can feel proud of the way your teeth appear.
Clear braces will shift your teeth into a more aligned position in the mouth. But a dentist can also build a straighter smile through other cosmetic dental solutions like tooth bonding or porcelain veneers.