The Straight and Narrow: The Benefits of Orthodontic Treatment
Having a nice smile with straight, properly aligned teeth not only boosts your self-confidence, but it also promotes good oral health. However, many people have crooked, crowded, or gapped teeth that can cause a variety of issues. This is where orthodontic treatment in London comes in.
What is Orthodontic Treatment?
Orthodontic treatment involves using appliances like braces or Invisalign clear aligners to gradually move teeth into their optimal positions. It can fix spaced out teeth, protruding teeth, crowded teeth, overbites, underbites, and jaw alignment. The end goal is to achieve proper bite alignment (occlusion) along with an attractive smile.
Improved Oral Health
Crooked, crowded, or spaced out teeth are harder to clean thoroughly and properly. Food particles and plaque can get easily trapped, raising your risk for tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath. Orthodontic treatment in Wandsworth corrects these issues for a pristine smile. Straight teeth have fewer pits and grooves for bacteria to hide in. Your toothbrush and floss can access all surfaces easily. Improved hygiene from orthodontic treatment leads to healthy gums and stronger teeth over the long term.
Confidence Boost
An uneven, gapped smile can make some people feel insecure and self-conscious. After going through orthodontic treatment, the dramatic improvement in your smile does wonders for self-esteem. Feeling confident and happy with your straight teeth often translates into being more outgoing and willing to smile naturally for photos. Crooked teeth no longer have to hold you back at work, school or in your personal relationships.
Clear Speech
Sometimes, people with misaligned jaws and teeth can have muffled, lispy speech. When your teeth are crowded or bite is off, your tongue, lips, and cheeks must compensate, making it tricky to produce certain sounds. Orthodontic treatment realigns everything for clearer pronunciation and articulation. Friends, family, teachers, employers, and clients will be able to understand you easily without having to strain.
Easier Chewing and Swallowing
Your teeth play a pivotal role in chewing food thoroughly before you swallow it. When bite alignment issues exist, you must overcompensate with your jaw to chew efficiently. This can result in chewing discomfort, jaw pain, or headaches. After undergoing orthodontic treatment to fix spacing and alignment problems, chewing becomes effortless. Properly positioned teeth distribute chewing pressure evenly for painless eating. Food is also chewed up much faster and more thoroughly before swallowing.
Prevent Wear and Tear
Crooked teeth put some under significantly more stain and pressure. Over time, uneven surfaces can start to wear down and crack. Since aligned and straight teeth distribute force evenly, they’re far more resistant to chipping and breaking. Orthodontic treatment consultation helps your teeth better withstand use over time for enhanced longevity. Your teeth should last comfortably until late adulthood if properly cared for.
Aid Digestion
Thoroughly chewed food is also much easier to digest once swallowed, preventing gastrointestinal issues. When bite misalignment and problematic spacing exist, you tend to swallow larger chunks. This strains the digestive system, raising risks for acid reflux, heartburn, and irritable bowel syndrome. Fixing these problems with orthodontics reduces indigestion while lowering chances of developing related conditions.
Jaw and Neck Problems
When upper and lower rows of teeth don’t align properly, more strain is placed upon the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connecting the jawbone and skull. TMJ facilitates chewing motions to open and close your mouth. Too much uneven pressure on this vital joint can lead to pain, soreness, headaches, earaches, and diminished mobility. Orthodontic treatment fixes misalignment to take the pressure off of TMJ and neck muscles. Pain and discomfort are replaced by flexibility and mobility.
Sleep Apnea Improvement
Obstructive sleep apnea disrupts normal breathing patterns during sleep due cycles. Breathing may stop briefly before resuming with loud snoring or gasping noises. The biggest risk factor is having a narrow airway that gets blocked easily, which certain irregular bites contribute to. By widening and realigning the airway, orthodontic treatment gives you room to breathe freely for higher oxygen circulation. Reduced risks for sleep apnea provide more restful nights and better health.
Long-Term Savings
While the initial investment for braces or aligners may seem high, orthodontics pays off exponentially down the road. Straight teeth are far cheaper to clean, repair and extract during adulthood than irregular ones. Fewer dental issues arise later on, saving you from expensive gum grafts, crowns, tooth extractions/replacements, and therapy for TMJ and headaches. By getting orthodontic treatment early, you save thousands long-term through enhanced oral health.
Orthodontic treatment in London offers myriads of aesthetic and medical benefits. Straighter teeth aren’t just cosmetic, but instrumental for chewing, speaking clearly, promoting wellness, and fending off more serious problems. Consult your 1A Orthodontics dentist to determine whether orthodontics could be worthwhile for you or your child’s individual situation. An evaluation involves assessing overall oral health along with the structure of teeth, jaws and bite. If deemed beneficial for alignment and function, treatment plans get customized around your lifestyle needs and budget.
Having a nice smile with straight, properly aligned teeth not only boosts your self-confidence, but it also promotes good oral health. However, many people have crooked, crowded, or gapped teeth that can cause a variety of issues. This is where orthodontic treatment in London comes in. What is Orthodontic Treatment? Orthodontic treatment involves using appliances…