About four million people in the US have braces. A fourth of these patients are adults. However, you’re no longer limited to traditional metal braces for orthodontic treatment.
Don’t want unseemly wires and brackets impacting the appearance of your smile? Consider clear aligners for teeth instead.
On the fence about wearing aligners to straighten your teeth? Read on to discover how they can benefit your life beyond a beautiful smile today!
1. Avoid Future Decay
Check your smile in a mirror. Do you have any gaps between your teeth? Even the smallest gap is a great hiding place for food particles and bacteria.
If your teeth appear crooked, you might struggle to thoroughly brush every tooth. Without proper brushing, food particles and bacteria can linger in your mouth. When left unattended, both can contribute to the spread of bacteria.
Plaque can form, eventually causing acid production.
You could develop tooth decay as a result.
If you have misaligned teeth or gaps impact the appearance of your smile, visit your orthodontist. They can scan your teeth to create your clear aligners right away.
Closing the gaps between your teeth will give food and bacteria fewer places to hide. Then, you can minimize your risk of future decay.
Otherwise, you might have to pay for more extensive (and expensive) treatments in the future.
2. Keep Your Gums Healthy
Avoiding decay is only one benefit of having straight teeth. Wearing clear aligners for teeth can benefit your gum health, too.
Remember, it’s often difficult to brush and floss crooked teeth. Food particles and bacteria can also impact your gum health.
For example, plaque can start to form. This clear, sticky substance will soon harden into tartar. Tartar can cause inflammation when left unattended.
Inflammation could cause you pain and discomfort over time. You might notice your gums look red and swollen, too. They might even bleed when you brush and floss your teeth.
If these problems sound familiar, you’ve likely developed gingivitis. Gingivitis is the initial stage of gum disease. Symptoms of gingivitis include:
- Bad breath
- A change in how teeth fit together
- Pain when chewing
- A receding gum line
- Pus between the gums and teeth
- Sensitivity
- Bleeding gums
Over time, your teeth might become loose as well.
Gingivitis can progress to its more advanced stage: periodontitis. Advanced gum disease could destroy ligaments and bones responsible for keeping your teeth anchored.
Meanwhile, gum disease can also increase your risk of health conditions like stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.
Instead of putting your oral health at risk, visit your local orthodontist. Beginning treatment right away can help you keep your gums healthy.
3. Beat Bruxism
Have you ever woken up with your jaw feeling sore and tight? Misaligned teeth can lead to bruxism down the road. This condition develops when your top and bottom teeth don’t rest against one another.
As a result, you could begin grinding your teeth in your sleep.
You might begin waking up with headaches or jaw pain. You might begin biting the inside of your cheeks, too. Other symptoms include:
- Pain
- Sensitivity
- Headaches
- Tight jaw muscles
- Loose or chipped teeth
- Sleep issues
- Worn enamel
You can’t regain your protective tooth enamel once it’s gone. Enamel is responsible for protecting your teeth from decay.
The texture, shape, and color of your teeth might change over time as well.
If you’ve started grinding your teeth at night, consider aligners for misaligned teeth. Improving your alignment can help you avoid jaw pain and other complications.
4. Make Implant Space
Are you currently missing a tooth? Your dentist might recommend a dental implant to replace the tooth you lost. Unfortunately, the teeth surrounding the gap might shift if you delay treatment.
You might develop crooked teeth. Meanwhile, you’ll lose the space you need for the implant.
Beginning orthodontic treatment with aligners will straighten your teeth. Then, you’ll have the space you need for the implant.
An implant will help boost your self-confidence, along with the ability to chew and speak.
5. Chew Without Problems
Crooked teeth might impact your ability to chew hard or crunchy foods. You might remove certain nutritious foods from your diet, too. Clear aligners for teeth can improve your ability to chew.
Otherwise, swallowing larger pieces of food will give your stomach twice as much work to do. You could experience digestive problems.
6. Avoid Jaw Strain
You could develop temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder if you have a jaw alignment issue. In addition to fixing misaligned teeth, aligners can also benefit your jaw alignment.
Otherwise, you might experience ear problems, headaches, and other problems.
7. Sleep Soundly
A misaligned jaw might also impact your ability to sleep at night. You could develop an issue like sleep apnea. Neglecting to get enough sleep at night can impact your ability to function during the day.
For example, you might struggle to concentrate. Your risk of health conditions like diabetes and stroke will increase, too.
Instead, use clear aligners to get straight teeth and the sleep you need.
8. Speak Clearly
Crooked teeth might also cause you to develop a lisp, impacting your self-confidence. Straight teeth could improve your ability to speak with the utmost clarity.
You’ll have an easier time pronouncing words without a hitch!
9. Subtle Treatment
One of the reasons many people avoid traditional metal braces is the appearance of their braces. Many adults don’t want to go to work wearing metal brackets and wires. If you feel the same way, consider clear aligners instead.
Since the aligners are clear, most people won’t realize you’ve started treatment.
10. Improved Confidence
Having straight teeth can give your self-confidence a boost. You can show off your smile and feel better in social situations.
In fact, improving your self-confidence might help you at work, too. You can take more social risks, which might lead to promotions and new opportunities!
Start Smiling: Get Clear Aligners for Teeth Today
Don’t let crooked teeth impact your health or quality of life. Instead, consider requesting clear aligners for teeth. Beginning treatment right away can help you avoid complications down the road.
Get ready to start showing off your new, beautiful smile!
Eager to get started? We can’t wait to help.
Find an office near you today!