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Read on to discover the numerous medical benefits of braces
Estimates indicate that 4 million people in the USA, including children and adults, get braces yearly. Braces are one of the oldest and most widely practiced orthodontic treatments that help straighten teeth and improve their appearance. However, other than aligning your teeth, braces also provide several medical benefits. Let’s explore the medical benefits of braces.
Healthy Teeth and Gums
- Crooked teeth provide an ideal surface for plaque build-up that can irritate the gums. In addition, crooked or crowded teeth make it hard for people to brush their teeth and reach the crooked areas of the mouth. Moreover, it becomes challenging to floss misaligned teeth. When it becomes difficult to reach all the surfaces of the teeth, tartar and plaque begin to accumulate in certain parts of your teeth.
Braces straighten the misaligned teeth and improve the spacing. This allows you to clean every corner and surface of your teeth to remove food particles and prevent plaque from building. This eliminates potential issues like bad breath, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.
Correct Poorly Aligned Bite
- Orthodontic braces are typically used to fix crooked teeth. However, they are also effective in correcting a poorly aligned bite. How upper and lower teeth fit together is referred to as a bite. Missing or misaligned teeth result in gaps in your mouth that make it harder to chew food.
A misaligned bite can lead to discomfort and even pain in severe cases. This is because the jaw has to work harder to chew food. Braces help restore a proper bite alignment. Thus, alleviating pain, reducing pressure on the jaw, and making it easier for you to chew food. This, in turn, improves digestion and general health.
Reduced Teeth Grinding
- One of the major contributing factors to teeth grinding or bruxism is poor teeth alignment. Bruxism refers to clenching, gnashing, and shifting of teeth during sleep. Over time, grinding results in wear and tear and severe damage to tooth enamel. Damaged enamel is the leading cause of sensitivities, root canal infections, and tooth fractures. By improving the overall teeth alignment, braces allow teeth to find a proper resting position while you are asleep. This reduces the risk of grinding and long-term stress on your teeth.
Treat TMJ Dysfunction
- The constant stress on the jaw joints caused by misaligned teeth can lead to dysfunction in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The popping, locking, and clicking felt on the jaw is a standard indicator of temporomandibular joint disorder. Braces reduce the pressure on the jaw and are commonly used to treat the temporomandibular joint disorder.
Improved Speech Issues
- Misaligned teeth are a risk factor for speech disorders, particularly those involving the pronunciation of consonants. Speech issues can cause a person to become self-conscious, thereby leading to several mental health issues. When your teeth are poorly aligned, the tongue can better form the shapes needed to form proper words and sounds.
In addition, misaligned teeth affect other aspects of your life. People with crooked teeth suffer from low self-esteem. They feel the need to hide their smile and stay back from speaking in offices and other social settings. Getting braces helps improve the smile and esthetics of the teeth, eliminates social anxiety, and motivates people to be their best selves.
To get the best orthodontic treatment, including braces and aligners. We are the qualified orthodontics near you. If you want to learn more about braces and how they can help you, let us help you. We have offices in Seattle and Everett. Call us at 206-225-2882.