When we think about orthodontic treatment we often only associate it with teeth straightening and the aesthetic benefits of a more aligned smile, but there are actually many other areas in which orthodontics can help us out. Having a straighter smile can make serious changes to the function of our teeth along with other practical benefits.
In order to put all the information in one place here’s a guide on many of the benefits of orthodontics Weybridge.
Better cleaning
One of the stand-out features of orthodontics is of course that they can give you a straighter smile, but this straighter smile comes with some added benefits of its own. Straighter smiles are simpler to clean, and this is because the teeth are generally much easier to move around. If you imagine a cupboard full of tupperware with all the lids and tubs mismatched and disorganised, a mouth of unaligned teeth is similar in that when teeth are overcrowded, overlapping and poorly aligned it’s just harder to clean. Getting between the teeth is more difficult and there’s just more areas for germs to get trapped in and then multiply. Teeth that are equally spaced with good access for cleaning through flossing and interdental brushes, are far less likely to have plaque and tartar building up and consequently are far less likely to become victim to gum disease or decay, which are still the two leading causes of tooth loss in the UK.
Better digestion
It’s hard to believe that something as simple and small as a misaligned tooth could have major consequences to our ability to chew properly and possibly you may not be noticing any issues when chewing. But if teeth don’t meet correctly on the upper and lower jaws when eating, it can cause the body to realise less saliva during the digestion process, which creates a domino effect resulting in poor digestion. If food reaches the stomach without being properly digested it can cause bloating, cramps and difficulty passing stools. There’s research to show that teeth that are correctly aligned aid digestion and can seriously assist those suffering from digestion problems.
Reduced jaw tension
It’s very common that overbites and underbites affect patients’ jaw tension. This can be very subtle or very painful and everything in between. When the teeth don’t sit in the correct position it triggers a stress reaction in the jaw. Often this can go unnoticed for a long time but can lead to migraines and even locked jaws. It’s also very common for those with misalignment in the jaw to suffer from teeth grinding during sleep, which can be extremely detrimental to the tooth’s enamel layer and overall health. It’s often reported that those who suffer from jaw ache or migraines prior to undergoing orthodontics are able to live pain free after treatment.
More confidence
As already mentioned it’s very obvious that having a straighter smile is probably going to improve people’s confidence, but this can go much deeper into the psyche of a person than one might initially realise. Having smile issues corrected can genuinely be life changing for those who have suffered with a lack of confidence from childhood due to their misaligned teeth.