subject: Straight Teeth Promote Better Oral Health And A Nicer Smile [print this page] Most people decide to get their teeth straightened for one main reason: to improve the look of their teeth and smile. While these are certainly important reasons to pursue orthodontic treatment, there are other functional reasons that you would want to straighten your teeth. Straight teeth lead to improved dental function, easier teeth cleaning and reduced teeth grinding. By achieving a straight smile, you will feel better about your smile and will help to avoid costly dental problems later on in life.
Straight Teeth Are Easy To Clean
If your teeth are crowded or crooked, they can be very difficult to clean. Effectively brushing your teeth is impossible when your teeth are too close together because there are areas that cannot be reached by your brush. In addition, teeth that are overcrowded cannot be flossed effectively. Being able to effectively brush and floss your teeth is extremely important to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Over time, not being able to fully clean your teeth can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and more serious problems that can be both costly and uncomfortable to fix. If your teeth are crooked, even your dentist can have a difficult time cleaning the hard to reach areas. If you do need some sort of tooth restoration, it is much easier for your dentist to install crowns, bridges or veneers if you have straight teeth.
Straight Teeth Give You A Better Bite
One of the most important functions of orthodontic treatment is to fix your bite and balance the force of your bite throughout your entire mouth. If your teeth are crooked or misaligned, the force of your bite can be concentrated on one or just a few of your teeth. Over time, this will cause problems with your teeth. Abnormal wear, headaches and jaw pain can all be results of this. Grinding of your teeth can also result from having misaligned teeth, a habit that can be very damaging to your teeth. Chewing and talking are also much easier with straighter teeth.
Straight Teeth Let You Smile With Confidence
In addition to the functional benefits of straight teeth, orthodontic treatment also allows for you to achieve the straight smile you need to be fully confident with your teeth. Crooked or misaligned teeth can be a source of embarrassment or shame for many people. Making the decision to pursue orthodontic treatment to straighten your teeth can be a turning point in your life. A straight and confident smile has been shown to lead to better social and career success for adults. It's never too late to get straighter teeth.
If you are thinking about getting orthodontic treatment to straighten your teeth, talk to your Littleton orthodontist to get more information or make an appointment.
