Everyone knows that braces can fix dental alignment issues like overbites, underbites, crossbites, gaps, and the like, but they may not be clear on the oral health problems these misalignments can cause. In addition to making your smile more beautiful, orthodontic treatments can address the root cause of painful oral health issues that interfere with patients’ everyday lives. Here’s a brief guide to a few of the oral health problems misalignments can cause and how orthodontics can help.
Orthodontics Can Make Your Teeth Easier to Care For
Everyone knows that they’re supposed to brush and floss every day to keep their teeth healthy and strong, but alignment issues can make these hygiene tasks difficult. Crowded teeth that overlap one another can limit how much of the dental surface a toothbrush can clean while making it difficult to work a bit of floss between two teeth. Without proper oral care, the mouth will develop tooth decay and gum disease that can cause pain, tooth loss, and dangerous secondary infections like sepsis or pneumonia.
Orthodontics Can Make Your Teeth Harder to Injure
Teeth are designed to absorb pressure in a specific way, and teeth that bite unevenly or are crooked or gapped can be more vulnerable to injuries when chewing or due to trauma. An uneven bite can distribute the pressure of chewing poorly so that only a few bear the brunt of the force, and crooked teeth can have their edges and sides worn away as they chew. Orthodontics can realign teeth so that they can chew evenly and precisely, minimizing the risk of injury.
Orthodontics Can Address Headaches, Backaches, and Jaw and Neck Pain
Many people might not think that their jaw has anything to do with the pains in the rest of their skeleton, but the truth is that the jawbone is held in place by a pair of intricately balanced joints attached to the skull. If these joints become imbalanced or exhausted, the strain can cause distress in the neck, back, and skull. Orthodontic treatments can help the teeth chew more efficiently, reducing strain on the jaw and preventing associated headaches, backaches, and neck pain.
Orthodontics has helped millions of people improve their self-image and overall health. Consulting with your orthodontist can determine which treatments are a good fit for you.
About the Author
Dr. Isaak Yelizer graduated with the highest honors from the New York University College of Dentistry, where he was a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society and earned several scholastic awards. He is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists. He serves the orthodontic needs of teens and adults at locations in Queens and Farmingdale, NY. For more information on what orthodontics may be able to do for you, contact him online.