Orthodontic treatment may benefit not only your smile, but your overall oral health too

Seeing people with almost perfectly straight teeth these days is increasingly an everyday occurrence.

Despite the UK’s reputation in some countries for having ‘wonky’ teeth, more and more people are opting to correct any crookedness of their own teeth by seeking orthodontic treatment at dentists across the country.

While most people choose this treatment at our Canterbury dental clinic primarily for cosmetic purposes, there are also additional benefits to having straighter teeth than can have a significantly positive effect on the rest of your oral health too.

To improve the quality of your smile brings benefits of its own, but the additional benefits of straighter teeth are well worth having too. In today’s blog, the dentists at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic offer some of their thoughts on orthodontic treatment, with regards to the health of your mouth.

Teeth are easier to clean

Although most of our patients hopefully brush and floss their teeth well, it is a fact that if you have crooked teeth, or teeth that overlap, it is almost impossible to reach all the areas of the tooth with the toothbrush, or even a fine dental floss. Even though these areas might be very tiny, they are still large enough for bacteria to start to collect. These bacteria will eventually damage the enamel of your teeth until a cavity forms. As the area is hidden, this may be harder to detect unless you have a toothache, meaning that the decay may spread to create a larger cavity. Having straight and even teeth means that your toothbrush bristles and floss should be able to clean the teeth and gum line much more easily, helping to prevent this problem.

There is less risk of tooth wear

As we eat, and especially when chewing our food, the teeth should, ideally, meet their opposite exactly. With crooked teeth, this is not the case and can often lead to premature wearing down of the enamel. This can lead to a number of things. As the enamel wears down, you might find that your teeth start to feel more sensitive and you might suffer some discomfort when eating or drinking hot or cold food or drink. As the erosion continues, the inner part of the tooth may start to become exposed. Once this protective enamel has been damaged in this way, the path is open for both tooth decay and root canal infections to occur. This is one of the many good reasons why you should ensure that you have check up appointments made at our Canterbury Dental Clinic so that any issues, such as this, can be resolved before it becomes too big a problem for your teeth.

Reduces the risk of jaw problems

Especially where the rear teeth are crooked and uneven, some people can experience some clicking and discomfort of the jaw due to an uneven bite. Over time, this discomfort can extend to the head and neck areas too, making life quite uncomfortable. Orthodontics are often the best way to resolve this problem, using modern comfortable methods like Invisalign.

Speech can be improved

Depending on the incorrect placement of our teeth, some of you might suffer from speech defects, such as a lisp. By correcting the positions, this problem can often be resolved. Incidentally some patients do notice they develop a speech issue when wearing even the most comfortable orthodontic appliances (braces) but this should only occur for a short while whilst your mouth becomes accustomed. Once your treatment is complete, you will often find that your speech has improved and is now clearer.

Confidence

Confidence and happiness affects most areas of our life. Not only will having your teeth straightened improve your smile significantly, but will often make you feel more confident about yourself too. This in turn, tends to make us feel much happier and inclined to pay attention to our wellbeing and how we look after it.  Those with less attractive teeth may possibly be inclined to think there is little point in looking after them and may adopt a more ‘laissez faire’ approach to cleaning their teeth. On the other hand, if you have a great looking smile, you are more likely going to want to look after it as best as you can.

Whether you would like to have your teeth straightened for cosmetic or health reasons, we have a range of orthodontic systems available to help you. With the guidance and experience of our cosmetic dental team, we can help you have a great looking and healthy smile for years to come. Why not arrange an initial consultation with us by calling Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic on 01227 463529.