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When people talk about braces, they often home in on the many cosmetic benefits they can offer orthodontic patients. However, braces aren’t just a cosmetic treatment; there are quite a few health reasons why someone would want to get them as well.
If you’re interested in the way that your braces can improve how you feel day-to-day, here are a few examples of what they can offer you.
Better Cleaning
When your teeth are crowded together, that creates a lot of places for plaque to build up. It’s like the difference between a completely flat wall and the wall of, say, a cave. A wall filled with crevices has a lot more places for plaque to hide. That plaque buildup can potentially lead to a host of oral health problems, including gum disease.
By straightening out your teeth, they become much easier to clean and protect. By getting orthodontic treatment to straighten out your teeth, bacteria will have fewer places to hide, impairing their ability to wreak havoc in the mouth.
Bite Correction
You may have heard the terms “overbite” and “underbite”, but you might not know what they mean, or that their effects can be more than cosmetic. A bite problem is a situation where the jaw is held in such a way that the teeth do not meet evenly. This can mean the upper or lower jaw jutting out, the upper teeth sitting inside the lower teeth, or the teeth not meeting at all.
A misaligned bite can lead to a host of oral health issues, including crowding and chronic teeth grinding. Braces not only straighten your teeth, but have attachments that can allow your provider to align your jaw as well.
Treating TMJ Disorder
The temporomandibular joints, TMJ for short, connect your jaw to the rest of your face. When they become misaligned, that leads to something called a TMJ disorder. That can cause a host of uncomfortable symptoms; in addition to jaw pain, TMJ can also cause nausea, vertigo, and migraines due to these joints’ proximity to the inner ear.
As was mentioned a moment ago, orthodontics can address certain bite misalignments, and TMJ is one of them. By bringing the jaw into alignment, you can ease the discomfort you may be feeling when you open or close your mouth.
About Our Practice
At The Smilist Dental Medford, we’re happy to offer our patients the highest level of dental care to our patients so that they can get the high-quality health care that they deserve. We’re open seven days a week, so you don’t have to take time out of your busy schedule to keep your smile shining. And with five experienced dentists on staff, we’re confident in our ability to make a difference in the lives of our patients.
If you have any questions about the health benefits of orthodontics, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (631) 286-9000.