Photo by Rainier Ridao on Unsplash
When you think of braces, the first thing that may come to mind is a teenager with a mouth full of metal. But orthodontic treatment for adults who want to correct misaligned teeth and improve their oral health is becoming increasingly common.
Braces don’t just help people achieve a gorgeous smile — they can also help straighten your teeth and jaws to make it easier for you to chew your food. Braces can also help keep your teeth healthy and strong in the long run by preventing tooth decay or gum disease.
Give you a more youthful appearance
Straight teeth are more youthful than crooked ones, and there’s a reason for that. When your teeth aren’t aligned, it can make you look older than you are. Not only do straightened teeth look more attractive, but they also help you smile more often in life. You won’t have to worry about hiding your mouth with your hand when laughing or smiling because of embarrassment over your crooked teeth! It makes your overall appearance seem younger and healthier, too!
Make it easier to keep teeth clean
Braces are an excellent way to improve your smile, but they also make it easier to keep your teeth clean.
The wires that hold the brackets in place act as a guide for brushing and flossing, ensuring that you reach every surface of each tooth. Brushing is more effective with braces because the wire helps pull plaque away from the gum line, which leads to cavities if left untreated. Braces also prevent gum disease by reducing bacteria buildup in the mouth and preventing periodontal pockets from forming between teeth and gums.
They can improve self-esteem and confidence
Braces can help gain confidence. Having braces and not minding them is a sign of an increased level of self-confidence, which is something that everyone wants more of in their lives!
Braces can make you feel more comfortable in social situations. One surprising side effect of getting braces is that people seem to like talking to people with them on because they think it makes them look good! It could be because the person with braces has other things going for them or simply because someone who doesn’t want to talk to anyone might find themselves being approached by strangers who want to know what kind of food is stuck between their teeth (and also how well their breath smells). Either way, it means more conversations are happening than usual at parties—or even just at school—so your social life will likely improve as well!
Improve the appearance of your smile
In addition to improving your oral health, braces can also improve the appearance of your smile. The good news is that many different cosmetic concerns can be corrected with orthodontic treatment. It includes:
- Teeth that are crooked, misaligned or overlapping
- The separation between teeth (diastema)
- Discoloured, chipped or stained teeth (teeth whitening)
- Uneven gaps between the upper and lower jaw (malocclusion)
- Crooked jaws and underbite/overbite
Correct abnormal bite problems, such as overbites, underbites and crossbites
If you have an abnormal bite problem, an orthodontist will help you solve it forever! Your bite may be perfectly aligned and straight, but there are still many things that can go wrong with your teeth. A crossbite is when one tooth overlaps another, while an overbite is when the upper teeth extend too far forward from the lower ones. An underbite occurs when the lower jaw protrudes too far forward of the upper jaw (as well as a reverse overbite). Orthodontic treatment can fix these issues by moving teeth into their proper places to create a more balanced smile.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your health and your smile, consider orthognathic surgery in addition to braces. Orthognathic surgery involves altering both jaws so that they’re aligned properly and evenly spaced from each other—a procedure performed by specialists like dentists or oral surgeons in conjunction with experienced orthodontists who work on patients‘ mouths post-surgery.
Straightening your teeth reduces the risk for TMJ disorders
Misalignment of the jaw can cause TMJ disorders. With the jaw misaligned, your teeth are not properly aligned with each other, which can lead to pain and discomfort in your face.
Another common issue associated with crooked teeth is snoring. The airway is narrower when there are gaps between your front teeth, causing you to breathe through your mouth while you sleep instead of through your nose. It makes it difficult for your body to get enough oxygen, which affects breathing quality and leads to poor sleep quality overall.
The good news is that straightening teeth prevents TMJ disorders by improving their alignment and allowing them to function normally once again!
Overall, if you have crooked, crowded, or misaligned teeth, braces are likely to be a great solution. While they may require some sacrifice and effort on your part to wear and maintain them properly, the benefits can include a better-looking smile that’s easier to keep clean—and improved overall health, as well.
Author bio:
Alison Pearson is an interior design student. She is a writer and designer, and her ultimate passion is art and architecture. She is also a bibliophile and her favourite book is „The Sound and the Fury“ by William Faulkner. Follow her on Twitter.