Last Updated on February 20, 2023 by admin
Do you remember the years you spent as a kid wearing braces and missing out on all the bubble-gum chewing that marks the peak of childhood? If so, your orthodontist likely engrained the importance of wearing your retainer into your brain.
Even if you tried your best to keep up with wearing it, you might have let your straight teeth shift out of position somewhere along the way. If you wish to seek orthodontic treatment as an adult, you won’t be alone — nearly one in five orthodontic patients is older than 18.
Read on to discover the benefits of straight teeth and why you should consider getting adult braces.
1. Fewer Cavities
Overlapping and crooked teeth are challenging to floss and brush. Let’s assume your front teeth are pretty straight, but there’s some serious crowding with your molars. Every morning and night, you’ll breeze through brushing and flossing your front teeth. But once you reach your choppers in the back of your mouth, you may grow discouraged.
Using your toothbrush or dental floss in these areas effectively can be a real hassle. You may do a sub-par job or be tempted to skip these areas altogether.
When you leave bacteria to grow in these crevices, trouble will ensue. You’ll be much more susceptible to gum disease and general tooth decay.
It’s in the best interest of your oral health to seek orthodontic procedures that will straighten your teeth.
2. Clearer Speech
Do people ask you to repeat yourself often? Crooked teeth may be to blame if you never had braces or stopped wearing your retainer after orthodontic treatment.
The position of your teeth may not allow your tongue to move freely. As a result, you can slur your words or stutter through sentences. Other speech impediments that crooked teeth can cause include whistling, lisps, or mispronunciations.
A professional will use orthodontic procedures to get your teeth into the correct position. You’ll be able to pronounce fricative consonants (like “ch,” “s,” and “t”) with ease and remediate other speech issues.
3. Higher Self-Esteem
This benefit may sound a little shallow, but it’s an important one to mention. Did you know that the average adult smiles up to 50 times per day? Whether you’re flashing your pearly whites during a job interview or first date with a potential S.O., it’s important to put your best foot forward.
Having straight teeth will help you feel more confident as you go about your day. You won’t have to worry about what your smile looks like to others. Instead, you can put energy towards making a great impression and building genuine, long-lasting relationships.
Straight teeth will provide you with a more professional appearance that you’ll be happy to flaunt in public.
4. Better Protection During Physical Activities
This benefit is for all our athletes reading this article. A protruding, out-of-place tooth is much more likely to sustain damage than a tooth that’s tucked away in the correct position.
A crooked or otherwise misaligned tooth may not fit in your athletic mouthguard properly, putting you at a greater risk for a cracked tooth or fractured root.
If you participate in a high-impact sport, you should prioritize seeking orthodontic treatment. You’ll be able to enjoy your sport much more fully without worrying about ending up in an emergency dentist’s office.
5. Fewer Headaches
Do you constantly get headaches but are at a loss for their cause? If you drink plenty of water and get ample sleep, the culprit may be your teeth.
Misaligned teeth wear unevenly and place serious stress on your jaw. If you have an abnormal bite (like an over-or underbite), you’ll exert an incredible amount of pressure on your gums, teeth, and jaw.
Straight teeth can handle normal eating habits. But individuals with crooked teeth can develop headaches that last all day long.
In serious cases, patients develop a TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder. Unpleasant symptoms like dizziness, ear pain, and headaches characterize TMJ disorders.
Seeking orthodontic treatment can help you go about your day (and eating habits) with less discomfort.
6. Serious Savings
If you’ve ever researched, “How much does Invisalign cost?” you may have recoiled at the thought of seeking orthodontic treatment. Invisalign treatments and other orthodontic procedures can cost thousands of dollars without insurance.
But you should think of orthodontic treatment as an investment. It can prevent serious dental issues later in life and put money back into your wallet in the long term.
7. Improved Health Overall
Misaligned teeth can lead to various health problems, a couple of which include:
Infections
A tooth that has shifted out of position can poke the soft tissue inside of your mouth. Bacteria from the food you eat can enter this cut and create a nasty infection.
Indigestion
People with misaligned teeth often can’t chew their food properly. They tend to swallow their food in bigger pieces, which can lead to serious digestion issues.
Some patients with crooked teeth don’t encounter these serious health issues. But, they may experience bad breath caused by their crooked teeth’s crevices harvesting excess bacteria and plaque.
You can improve your overall health and well-being by investing in orthodontic procedures.
Consider Adult Braces to Achieve Straight Teeth!
Whether you find Invisalign or traditional adult braces preferable, you should consider an orthodontist in Fort Mill who can help you to achieve straight teeth. Doing so will let you take charge of your health and improve your physical appearance.
Be sure to browse other articles on our site to learn how to improve your oral care, general health, and self-confidence!