Orthodontia can significantly improve the quality of life of people of all ages. However, many still need clarification about why they should seek orthodontic treatment or how it can help! Botsford Family Orthodontics takes great pride in helping people in the greater Medford area transform their lives through smiles. We would love to do the same for you! Let’s discuss some functional and aesthetic benefits of orthodontics that could help you!
Aesthetic
When you don’t like what you see in the mirror, it can lead to low self-esteem and isolation, which can turn into anxiety and depression. It’s also been proven that people with straight teeth have an easier time making friends, getting dates, and receiving job offers after face-to-face interviews. This difference in favor is because straight teeth deliver a better first impression. Besides being more memorable and desirable, the test reported that a conventionally attractive smile was associated with confidence, success, good health, cleanliness, and happiness.
Misaligned teeth are more likely to give others a wrong first impression and a negative perception of you. If your smile affects your confidence, you might contribute to the negative perception without realizing it!
Orthodontic care helps improve your smile’s cosmetic appearance and benefit your mental health by enhancing your social and professional life.
Functional
Your teeth and jaw alignment also play a crucial role in your physical health!
Easier To Eat
Misalignment can make chewing and swallowing a challenge by being painful and ineffective, causing eating to be potentially dangerous and uninviting. If you find eating uncomfortable, you are more likely to swallow prematurely. Insufficient chewing puts you at risk of choking due to inadequate saliva production and attempting to down large chunks of food. Bigger food is more challenging for the body to digest, so you cannot maximize your nutrient intake. Smaller food is also less likely to get stuck in the colon. Large lumps of food that get stuck can grow bacteria and promote indigestion, bloating, constipation, and gas.
Correctly aligned teeth are easier to chew food with and put less strain on your jaw joint so that you can form consistent and healthy dietary habits.
Easier to Perform Oral Hygiene
Crooked teeth can prevent you from cleaning all the nooks and crannies that hide bacteria, food, and plaque. If these unwanted guests are able to build up, you will be at risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath, among other concerns.
Properly cleaned teeth and gums have a lower risk of oral health concerns. When your teeth are straighter, protecting your enamel and cleaning your mouth is easier.
Easier To Breathe And Communicate
An improperly aligned jaw can misplace your tongue and create narrow air passageways, making breathing difficult. Poor teeth and jaw misplacement can also affect your ability to communicate. Mouth breathing, sleep apnea, and isolation are some side consequences of breathing and communication issues, all of which can lead to other more serious conditions like dry mouth, tooth decay, exhaustion, and poor mental health.
Dr. Botsford can align the teeth and jaw using braces and their accessories (like rubber bands attached to both rows of teeth) to make a noticeable improvement to your breathing abilities, giving you a more pleasant daily experience.
Reduced Risk Of Damaged Teeth
Overcrowded or overly spaced-out teeth might grind and rub against each other. This friction can wear down the enamel (which cannot be restored once it is gone), increasing your vulnerability to cavities, tooth sensitivity, and other oral health issues.
Protruding teeth (either from the angle of growth or jaw location) are more likely to become chipped, broken, or experience injury.
Braces will fix your malocclusion to lessen the possibility of dental trauma and minimize wear and tear on the teeth.
Minimize Pain
The pain that misplaced teeth and jaw create can also spread to your neck and head. Abnormal stress on the jaw could result in headaches and migraines. If not improved, this tension can quickly develop into TMJ, an uncomfortable condition that stems from your jaw being unable to open and close correctly. Unfortunately, once you have TMJ, you will likely have it for life.
Along with TMJ, things like gum disease, tooth decay, and digestive issues all have the potential to cause varying degrees of discomfort and pain. Fortunately, however, you can avoid most of these conditions and minimize their symptoms with appropriate orthodontic care.
Visit Botsford Family Orthodontics To Find Out How Orthodontics Can Benefit You!
Dr. Botsford and her team are passionate about their work and are always happy to talk orthodontics! To receive a list of personalized benefits based on your needs and lifestyle, contact our Medford office to schedule a free consultation! At this appointment, you will have a thorough examination and learn which treatment options you qualify for.
The sooner you start, the sooner you will see results, so see us soon! We look forward to meeting you!