Teeth alignment – the first thing we think of is a straighter smile, right?
And, well, yeah! Braces do help give you your best smile. But it’s more than just looking better or feeling better. It also literally improves your oral hygiene and health!
Shocked? Don’t believe us? It’s okay! Keep reading, and you’ll see exactly how teeth alignment benefits your oral health!
1. Straight teeth are easier to clean
Straight teeth are healthy teeth.
When your teeth are misaligned, it’s harder to get rid of the food debris stuck between them. This is because your brush or floss can’t reach into the nooks and crannies, causing food to remain lodged between the teeth for longer periods of time. This can encourage tooth decay and cavities in the longer run.
Aligned teeth provide a very strong barrier against decay-causing bacteria. Since they don’t have awkward gaps between them, it is easier for food to dislodge with mechanical brushing. Your dental hygiene will improve dramatically!
2. Straight teeth keep your gums healthy
Straight teeth help prevent gum disease as gums fit better around the teeth. Periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, is caused by bacteria being collected along the gum line and between the teeth.
Toxic substances that cause irritation are released when this bacteria multiplies, causing your gums to recede and more of your tooth surface to be exposed to decay-causing bacteria. In extreme cases, the bacteria can reach the root of the teeth and cause infections which leads to tooth loss.
Straight teeth make it easier to get rid of the bacteria stuck in the gum lines and reduce the risk of gum disease and tooth loss.
3. Straight teeth improve your bite
Straight teeth help improve your bite. Your bite is how your upper and lower teeth fit together. A healthy bite is when your teeth and jaws line up the right way. You have a healthy bite when your upper teeth fit slightly over your lower teeth and your molars fit the grooves of the opposite molars, keeping your face muscles relaxed.
Aligning your teeth can help fix common bite issues, such as crossbites, underbites, crowding etc. If left ignored, they can get worse over time and in severe cases cause teeth loss, sore ligaments, receding gum lines, painful jaw clicking and also lead to headaches and neck pain.
A healthy bite is important because it:
- Ensures overall orthodontic health and wellbeing
- Prevents unnecessary strain on your jaws, teeth and facial muscles
- Improves speech, your smile, the way you breathe
- Prevents teeth grinding
4. Your speech improves
Find yourself tripping over your words frequently? Or maybe you have to repeat yourself to be understood because your speech isn’t clear?
When teeth are misaligned, like with overlapping or crowding, it can result in speech issues such as lisps, accidental whistling when speaking, or slurred speech. If you grind your teeth at night, it can make these problems even more pronounced!
Of course, legitimate speech issues can be treated by going to speech therapy, but speech problems caused by misaligned teeth need orthodontic treatment before they can be rectified.
If you’re a night time teeth grinder, go and check out how teeth grinding affects your Zenyum Invisible Braces experience!
5. Your digestion could improve
Here’s a throwback to your primary school science lessons – chewing, (or masticating, if you’re feeling fancy and scientifically correct) is the very first step of the digestive system. Chewing mindfully and well doesn’t just minimise the chances of you choking, it also gets your food into smaller pieces for your stomach to digest!
So it makes sense that misaligned teeth would affect the way you chew, and in turn your digestion. With straighter teeth and better digestion, you’ll be ready to take on the world!
6. Less abnormal wear and tear on your teeth
Although we don’t think about it, our teeth are under a lot of pressure.
We mean that literally – your second molar can sustain a bite force around 1000-1300 Newtons. It could be worse if you have bite problems, which could be additional stress on your teeth.
With that much literal pressure on your teeth, properly aligned teeth are able to better handle that pressure on a day to day basis. If your teeth are crooked or misaligned, this may result in flattening of your biting surface that wouldn’t ordinarily happen with straighter teeth. Need another reason for you to straighten your teeth? In some instances, abnormal wear and tear could also escalate into periodontal disease.
Your teeth empower you with the almost magical ability to chew your favourite snacks and foods and pronounce your favourite words, so straightening your teeth is more than an investment in your looks. It’s an investment in your health too!
7. Self esteem boost
You’d be surprised how much better people feel when they have their best smiles. Similar to how we feel after donning a great outfit or some new kicks, straight teeth gives you the same satisfaction.
There is no shame in getting help where it is needed, and we could all use a little more self-love! Crooked teeth IS a solvable issue and if you think it is hindering you from living your best life, perhaps it is time to take the plunge and commit to a braces plan.
8. You could potentially live longer
We are not kidding! There are well known studies who have shown that people who floss daily potentially live up to 7 years longer. Flossing is a rare good habit people keep and thus, the assumption is that these people also tend to exercise more regularly and watch their diets and thus adding to their lifespan. Now this correlation is not to be conflated with causation.
The connection between gum disease and heart disease is a concerning one where people with gum disease are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from serious cardiovascular episodes. Flossing is a breeze when you have proper spacing between your teeth for it, so there’s less need to fret over gum disease!
Ready to take the first steps towards a straighter smile? Click the link below for your free Smile Assessment!
