Straight Teeth Isn’t The Only Benefit of Having Braces
When most people think about getting braces, the first thing that comes to mind is straighter teeth. What they don’t realize is all of the health benefits that come along with orthodontic treatment. There are many health benefits that come from having straight teeth because that is how our jaws were originally designed to work.
A study from Stanford has shown that cavemen never needed braces. This is because their teeth were naturally straight due to constant and strenuous use. As we have become more civilized, we no longer needed to chew through tough materials like bones and animals in order to survive.
Because we are evolving to have worse bites, we are suffering from all the health problems that come from misaligned teeth. This is the main reason why orthodontics exists in the first place, to get our teeth and jaws back to their optimum placement.
Here we will discuss all of the benefits a client receives after successful treatment.
Braces Improve Your Oral Health
Having a nice smile is great. It can boost your confidence, and make you more presentable to others. But what’s more important is how much braces can help with your overall health. Having great oral health has been proven to extend your lifespan.
The problem with having crooked teeth is their difficulty in cleaning. They can be in arrangements that make certain parts impossible to reach with a toothbrush. When your teeth are straight, they are much easier to clean, brush, and floss.
Not being able to clean your teeth properly can lead to severe issues like jawbone erosion and gum disease. The longer you wait to get your teeth straightened the higher the chance of developing a serious issue regarding your oral health.
By having your teeth more accessible to cleaning treatments, you can avoid a lot of problems in the future. The best brushing and flossing techniques assume your teeth are already straight. Not much research has been done on misaligned teeth cleaning because the patterns are too random to develop one consistent technique.
Straight teeth are the easiest to care for and therefore lead to the most long-lasting oral health.
Braces Help With Digestion
Misaligned teeth are not optimized for chewing. When your jawline and teeth structure do not match up properly, it can lead to large chunks of food to not be chewed properly.
We often overlook how chewing can help our digestive process. The ideal situation for digestion is to have all the food you swallow to be as tiny as possible. The less energy and time your body needs to devote to digestion the better. So when you have large chunks of food that are hard to digest, it makes the process more difficult and less efficient.
Getting your teeth straightened and your jawline in the proper place will make you’re chewing more efficient. Take care to chew your food slowly to make sure you are breaking down the contents as best as you can before swallowing.
Braces Help Prevent Injury
One of the most common injuries related to teeth is when the upper teeth are protruding. This makes them more vulnerable to damage when an accident occurs. Accidents happen at unexpected times in unexpected places. If you happen to hit your face, and your teeth are sticking out, you only increase the chances of breaking a tooth.
Car accidents, falling down, playing sports, or just simply not looking where you’re walking are all things that can chip an out of place tooth. Getting your teeth straightened reduced the likelihood of this happening because any teeth that are facing outward are now properly aligned.
Even though injuries to the face may be unlikely for you personally, it’s always safer knowing your teeth are in the best position possible.
Braces Boost Self-Esteem
Having a great smile is a guaranteed way to boost your self-esteem. Feeling confident in yourself alone can boost both your mental and physical health. Especially in our day and age when orthodontic treatments have become the norm, it can be hard to be one of the few people who have not had braces.
Not having to worry about how your smile looks during a job interview or a first date can make a big difference in how your present yourself. Often people who are self-conscious about their smile tend to keep their lips tense and avoid smiling. This can lead to mixed signals and awkward body language.
Having a proper jawline can also help your speech. When your mouth has the proper shape, making certain pronunciations becomes easier and more natural. If you have a speech impediment, braces may fix that for you as well as straightening your teeth.
By simply taking care of your teeth, you can have all the benefits of having the self-esteem that comes with a bright and healthy smile.
Should You Get Braces?
Absolutely yes. Even if you may think you don’t need them, you should still book a free consultation to see what an Orthodontist thinks. You may not be aware of you’re under or overbite until a Doctor points it out. Just because your teeth look good already, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.
The most important reason to get braces is your overall health. There are a lot of obstacles in life that can be expensive and time-consuming. By taking care of your teeth you avoid a lot of issues that can come back to haunt you in the future.
Do what’s best and make sure your teeth are in the best condition possible.