Traditional braces have always been a common treatment for teenagers and adults alike. Anyone who wants to get a straighter and more aesthetically pleasing smile has probably gotten braces at some point, or they want to. Having a pretty smile is nice, but there are other medical benefits that come with braces that you might not be aware of.
What are the Medical Benefits of Braces?
Improve your bite
While the main goal of getting braces is to fix crooked teeth, they are also used to correct a poorly lined up bite. A bite is what dentists use to call how your upper and lower teeth fit together when you bite down. When you have gaps in your bite or things are aligning properly due to missing or crooked teeth, this can impede your ability to chew food, which is crucial in healthy digestion. Having a badly aligned bite may impact your ability to chew properly and eat food.
If this is left without treatment for a long time, then a misaligned bite may become painful as time goes on because your jaw will likely need to work harder to chew. This can result in lockjaw, TMJ disorder, and jaw pain-related headaches. These might need complicated dental and medical treatment.
Improve the alignment of your jaw
Having teeth that are overcrowded or having jaw misalignment can result in speech impediments. But, orthodontic treatment can help solve both jaw and palate alignment, which cause those speech impediments. An expander may need to be added on top of braces, which helps to widen the palate before traditional braces can be applied.
This expansion of the palate may result in better being able to breathe, less snoring and could also improve ear and sinus issues, which can be the result of jaw misalignment. Proper jaw alignment can also change the way that you look, because it can help bring your face back to its proper proportions.
Improve oral care habits
When you suffer from crowded and misaligned teeth, then they can be very hard to clean the nooks and crannies. Another tooth could block Parts of certain teeth, this can make properly brushing and flossing impossible. When your teeth cannot be properly cleaned, then bacteria is allowed to build up, which can lead to gum disease and cavities. By straightening out your crowded teeth, this makes brushing and flossing easier.
Having good oral habits can include brushing your teeth twice a day, using mouthwash with fluoride and flossing every day. For those who wear braces, there is an even bigger need to properly clean your teeth to prevent bad breath, gum disease, and staining teeth. When you have braces, you need to take extra care to clean between and around the brackets and wires. This, along with regular trips to the dentist can help you develop healthy habits that may last you a lifetime.
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