5 Ways Orthodontic Treatment Can Help Your Overall Health
Orthodontics is often thought of as just straightening teeth and improving smiles. While aesthetics are desirable, orthodontic treatment provides more than cosmetic benefits and affects your health more than you may realize. Treatment can repair malocclusion, crowding, and crookedness of teeth, creating a domino effect of improvements in your well-being. Let’s look at some of the benefits these repairs can have on your overall health.
#1 Comfort
With repaired malocclusions, you will experience enhanced comfort. When your bite is off, your jaw comfort is sacrificed. Proper alignment of the jaw will reduce the risks of headaches, ear aches, facial and neck pain, and TMJ/TMD. It can also create a more clear and efficient airway making it easier for you to breathe. This improved airway can help prevent further issues such as sleep apnea and other breathing disorders.
#2 Allows for proper oral hygiene
Orthodontic treatment corrects dental misalignments, including any crooked, crowded, or overlapping teeth, which allows for consistent, proper oral hygiene. When teeth are crooked, plaque builds up in areas of the surface you can’t reach with a toothbrush or floss, accelerating tooth decay. Therefore, properly aligned teeth with orthodontic treatment lead to fewer cavities and less risk of gum disease. As we always say, straight teeth are much easier to keep clean!
#3 Improved digestive health
Misaligned teeth and jaw can impact your ability to chew food properly, causing digestive problems. Inefficient chewing can also lead to strained joints and muscles in your jaw. When your teeth and jaw are properly aligned from orthodontic treatment, your ability to bite and chew improves and becomes more comfortable, allowing you to break down food more effectively for better digestion and absorption of nutrients.
#4 Reduced risk of injury
Without proper alignment, in an accident one or two teeth can bear impact rather than the force being spread across the entire mouth. This makes it more likely you’ll find yourself with a chipped or broken tooth, which can usually be repaired but occasionally requires more extensive treatment like extraction or replacement. When your teeth are properly aligned and your upper and lower teeth fit together properly, they are less likely to be damaged in an accident.
#5 Improved self-esteem and mental wellbeing
A smile you’re not proud of can significantly impact your self-esteem. A lack of confidence can cause anxiety and a lower quality of life in general. Orthodontic treatment can enhance your smile, giving you the confidence boost you need to improve your self-esteem and overall mental well-being. Your mental health is crucial to your overall health as it can create a ripple effect throughout other aspects of your physical health.
With the right treatment, you won’t just be improving your smile but your lifestyle as well. Dr. Weaver is passionate about having the latest and greatest technology to provide the best treatment possible to her patients. If you are looking to begin orthodontic care, contact Weaver Orthodontics today!
