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Can you imagine your life without teeth? No, right! That’s how important our teeth are for us and when you come to think of it, healthy teeth can be a great asset. Our teeth play a significant role in our sustenance as they aid us in chewing and digesting the food we consume. So it’s only natural that human beings have valued these pearly whites dating back to the ancient Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations who first created the 'toothbrushes' from frayed twigs between 3500-3000 B.C.
Importance of Straight Teeth
Besides their significance teeth are the part of our body that can’t heal once the damage is done. And this damage isn’t just caused by the chocolate pudding you had after dinner, there are several other underlying issues such as crooked or misaligned teeth that could be the potential culprits. Learning about why you should strive to achieve straighter teeth is only the first step in the right direction. Here are the top 5 benefits of teeth straightening:
1. Enhanced Oral Health
Crooked or crowded teeth can make it difficult to practice daily oral hygiene practices as they hinder the movement of the toothbrush compromising the health of your oral cavity. Comparatively straight teeth enable the bristles of your brush to reach every nook and corner of your mouth resulting in better removal of plaque and bacteria.
2. Better Aesthetics
Who doesn’t love a perfect smile? We all desire to have that ‘Marilyn Monroe’ smile to woo everyone around us. Studies have shown that misaligned teeth affect the mental health of people in general and teenagers in particular. Hence, perfectly aligned teeth don’t only improve the appearance of your smile but also boost your self-esteem.
3. Clearer Speech
There’s so much more that straighter teeth have to offer besides the aesthetic appeal. Improvement in your speech delivery is one of them. Individuals who have disproportionate teeth alignment and spaces between the upper front teeth especially suffer from speech impediments such as lisp and the inability to correctly pronounce some specific words.
4. Improved Digestion
Misaligned teeth can seriously affect your ability to chew the food properly. This uneven breakage of food makes your digestive work extra hard to process it, preventing the absorption of nutrients and causing bloating and indigestion. On the contrary straight teeth promote better teeth-to-teeth contact which aids in crushing the food into easy-to-digest tiny particles.
5. Reduced Risk of Dental Injuries
Crooked or protruded teeth upper teeth, also called overjet, can be easily damaged. As mentioned earlier, damage done to the teeth once stays forever. Hence, it is essential to take preventative measures like realignment of teeth to avoid any potential dental trauma.
The Bottomline
No matter which teeth straightening method you deploy to achieve properly aligned teeth, clear aligners or metal braces, it’s important to keep in mind the benefits that come with it. Go on then, take a free assessment today to understand your smile concerns and whether you’ll be a suitable candidate for the clear aligner treatment.
FAQs
What’s the difference between clear aligners and metal braces?
To put it shortly, both orthodontic devices are used to straighten your teeth. Metal braces consist of brackets and wires that stick to your teeth and are therefore pretty visible. Clear aligners on the other hand are customized plastic trays that simply slip over your teeth.
Can I brush my teeth while wearing orthodontic devices?
It depends on your choice of teeth straightening devices. Due to all the wires and brackets, cleaning your teeth might become daunting with the braces. On the other hand, if you’re using clear aligners, then simply take them off whenever you need to brush and pop them back in once done.
Can children get their teeth straightened?
The optimal age for teeth straightening is recommended to be between 10-14 years for metal braces. However, clear aligners mostly work for kids once they’ve lost all their baby teeth.