Why should you straighten your teeth?
When asked this question most people reply that they want a better-looking smile and they don’t like how they look in the mirror or in photos. There are other benefits to straight teeth than just cosmetic appearance:
- Straightening improves your bite. This is how top and bottom teeth fit together. Straightening teeth ensures that they all bite evenly. This will prevent excessive pressure on a particular tooth, reducing the chance of its wear, cracking and chipping in the future. Even bite also means better chewing of food.
- Straightening can close gaps between teeth. This can reduce food getting stuck between the teeth and thus irritating the gums.
- Straightening teeth can improve the alignment of the jaw. This can improve chewing, reduce the stress and pain in your jaw joint (TMJ), reduce grinding, snoring and sleep apnoea. Improved alignment can also improve the jaw shape, thus the facial proportions.
- Straight teeth improve your oral and gum health. Overlapping teeth are often hard to clean and floss properly, thus accumulate more food and plaque around them. This makes them more susceptible to cavities (decay), gum disease and inflammation, staining and bad breath. Once straightened, teeth become much easier to brush and floss, improving the overall health of your mouth.
- Straight teeth give you more confidence and better mental health. Many people feel self-conscious about their crooked teeth and smiles, leading to embarrassment and lack of confidence. Many patients report that once they straightened their teeth they felt less social anxiety and were much more confident, productive, happy and in better health.
If you would like more information on tooth straightening please contact EDG via email or on 9531 6387.
