How Does Having Straight Teeth Improve Your Dental Health?

Americans seek out Invisalign and other orthodontic treatments to help straighten their teeth. In fact, only about 35% of adults have well-aligned front teeth. But have you ever wondered what the benefits of having straight teeth are? It turns out that braces and Invisalign treatments not only improve the overall appearance of your smile but they can also improve your oral health.

Here some of the key health benefits of having your teeth straightened and why many Americans seek out dental care to improve their smiles.

1. Your risk for tooth decay goes down. When you have space between your teeth, it makes it easier for food particles to get trapped. Leftover food particles, especially sugars, feed the bad bacteria in your mouth and increase your risk for cavities. What’s more, greater space between your teeth makes it easier for plaque to build up along the sides of your teeth. It’s important to floss regularly to make sure you’re scraping away the plaque from your teeth before it can become tartar. Once plaque hardens into tartar, which only takes 24 hours, you need a general dentist to remove it. Straightening your teeth helps to improve your teeth alignment so the gaps between your teeth are less prominent.
2. You can brush more effectively and floss easier. When you have overlapping and crooked teeth, it’s difficult to clean your teeth effectively. Improper dental care can put you at an increased risk for gingivitis and other chronic health conditions such as heart disease and stroke. It’s important that you’re able to take good care of your gum line and each side of your teeth. When you straighten your teeth using professional dental care and orthodontics, you’ll be able to access all of your teeth and clean your gums for a happier and healthier mouth.
3. Your teeth aren’t as stressed. Uneven teeth can irritate the gum line, leaving you with inflamed and puffy gums. Chronic inflammation can lead to periodontal disease and sores if left untreated. When you’re trying to avoid chewing on a certain side of your mouth due to inflammation caused by uneven teeth, you put additional stress on the other teeth in your mouth. This increases wear and tear and puts you at greater risk for tooth decay. Straightening your smile helps to reduce the stress on your teeth and gums so you can chew effectively without pain.
4. You reduce your risk of gum disease. Gum disease is a major problem because of the link between inflamed gums and chronic health conditions such as heart disease and stroke. When you get the dental care and orthodontic treatment necessary to improve your smile and straighten your teeth, your gums actually fit around your teeth better and reduce the risk of bone loss and periodontal disease. Additionally, since straight teeth reduce your risk for gum disease, they also reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
5. You reduce your risk of a dental injury. Dental injuries happen whether you’re playing a rough sport or accidentally walk into a door. However, you have a greater risk of dental injuries when you have protruding or crowded teeth. This is because, when a tooth sticks out more than the others, it’s less likely to be protected by the lips, gum tissue, and jaw bone. As a result, the crowded or protruding tooth may chip or break in the event of an accident.
6. You reduce neck pain and headaches. As we mentioned above, crooked teeth can place excessive stress on the jaw bone and gums that support the teeth. Because of this excessive stress, crowded teeth can cause jaw misalignment over time. This increases your risk for chronic headaches, face pain, and neck pain. When you straighten your teeth, there’s less stress on the jaw and you don’t need to worry about suffering from chronic headaches.

Are you looking for a family dentist for professional dental work? We’ve got you covered. Gainesville Dental Associates has some of the top Gainesville family dentists around to help provide you with the dental care you need to protect your smile. For more information on dental care or to make an appointment with us, contact Gainesville Dental Associates today.