Sunshine Smiles Dental Clinic

1. Improves your oral health

Straightening misaligned teeth with braces helps keep teeth and gums healthy. Straighter teeth means teeth that are easier to brush, floss and clean. This helps with the maintenance of excellent oral hygiene. Oral hygiene is extremely important to maintain as without it cavities and gum disease can develop – which can be costly in the long run. Braces can set the foundation for a lifetime of improved oral health. Furthermore, crooked or crowded teeth that overlap can make it easier for bacteria and plaque to build up, leading to painful infection, gum disease and bad breath. Using braces to correct these spaces means bacteria and plaque can’t build up as easily, and with proper maintenance and oral care helps improve overall oral health.  

2. Improves digestion

Optimally aligned and straight teeth help chew food into easily digestible tiny bits, which can be hard with misaligned teeth. Being able to chew food properly aids in digestion and full absorption of food, meaning you’re getting all the nutrients out of your food and helping keep your gut healthy. Improving your digestion and gut health can help with your mood and energy levels throughout the day. 

3. Self confidence booster

Straight can be a real confidence booster, as it can give you the confidence to smile more and show off those perfect teeth of yours. In turn, others are more comfortable smiling back at you! Who doesn’t love receiving a genuine smile from others? There are a number of studies that have also shown that improving the way your smile looks improves cognition and lowers stress because by improving the amount you smile.  

4. Help with speech difficulties

The alignment of your teeth are crucial when speaking. If they lean forward or backward too far or are out of line, it can alter your speaking patterns and result in frustration or embarrassment. Adjusting the position of teeth with braces can lead to clearer, confident and professional speech. Teeth that may be causing speech impediments can also be shifted. Slurring of words caused by inadequate jaw space can be improved by opening the space with braces. 

5. Prevents bone erosion

Gaps and spaces, as well as excessive pressure placed on the jawbone from misaligned teeth can lead to bone and gum tissue erosion. Alignment with braces helps support the bones and tissues in your mouth and decreases the likelihood of erosion. Over time, braces help prevent gum erosion, reduce pressure in the jawbone and over time can fix a bad bite as the bones naturally rebuild in their new spot. 

When is the best time to get braces?

It is a common misconception that it’s only teens and adolescents that wear braces, but the truth is that people of any age can benefit from orthodontic treatment. However, most people start at the age of 12 when their baby teeth are fully replaced by adult teeth. Your dentist will be able to tell you if the procedures are needed and when they should start. 

While there isn’t a guarantee that your dental problems will be conclusively fixed by straightening your teeth, a significant difference can be made to problems that are caused by misaligned teeth – which may be referred to as ‘malocclusion’ by your dentist.