The Importance of Getting Professional Orthodontic Treatments such as Invisalign and Braces

Many patients who are receiving orthodontic treatment to correct their teeth may not realize that there are other, important aspects of their orthodontic care that benefit them as well.

The most common reason to seek orthodontic care, in the form of braces or Invisalign treatment, is to straighten the teeth. Other reasons to get orthodontic treatment are to correct an overbite, improve patient's ability to chew food and bring the teeth and misaligned upper and lower jaws into correct alignment to create a perfect smile.

Self confidence begins with a person’s physical appearance. Often, the first thing another person notices is your smile.

The following are some of the advantages of straight teeth that you will experience that can improve your well-being:

Some Physical Benefits of Orthodontic Treatment:

Improved Oral Health

Both your teeth and gum health will significantly improve when you have straight teeth. Pieces of food that become lodged in crooked teeth can cause a proliferation of germs to accumulate, which often results in teeth becoming covered with plaque and leads to the formation of cavities, as well as increasing the size of any existing cavities.

An even more serious danger from having crowding and misaligned teeth is the possibility of gum disease and bone loss which could lead to tooth loss in severe cases.

Periodontal disease can lead to several serious health complications. If your gums are overly sensitive, recede, become swollen, foods are difficult to chew because your mouth hurts or you have bad breath, these are all symptoms of gum disease. Research shows that oral bacteria can even travel to the bloodstream and contribute to heart disease and premature births.

Jaw Problems and Solutions

With the recent proliferation of alternative orthodontic treatments that will straighten teeth but do not fix related dental problems, other features of healthy teeth might not be dealt with. A patient’s bite, for example, can be an important aspect of oral health. From the first day or treatment, the correct alignment of your upper and lower jaws will help prevent TMJ problems and jaw pain.

If the teeth are not correctly aligned, and there is an overbite or underbite, this can result in many problems in the future. This misalignment is called malocclusion, which can cause the teeth to be more difficult to keep clean, to wear at an uneven rate or make teeth weaker and more prone to breaking. Malocclusion can be treated with braces, extracting teeth or surgery, if necessary.

All of the pain and suffering that can result when teeth are misaligned can be avoided when you seek treatment.

A comparison of healthy teeth and teeth with malocclusion clearly shows what can happen when problems are not treated. The symptoms of malocclusion can be as simple as difficulty when chewing certain foods. Proper alignment through treating this condition as quickly as possible will fix the bite and prevent damage to the teeth.

Protecting the teeth

Problems with tooth alignment and jaw growth can become apparent when a patient is very young. Early intervention can benefit the patient by correcting the growth of their upper and lower jaws and creating space for all their permanent teeth to erupt. That is why American Association of Orthodontists recommends evaluation by an orthodontist by age 7. If problems are detected early on and treatment is rendered, in majority of cases you can avoid extraction of permanent teeth and complicated jaw surgery at a later date.

Not being able to bite and chew can even result in poor health, from undigested foods, and the body may not be absorbing all of the nutrients in foods. This can actually cause a person to become malnourished if the problem is not fixed. Tooth enamel can eventually wear away, and since food digestion begins in the mouth, treatment is imperative.

Since the health of a person can be compromised without timely orthodontic treatment, the solution is as near as your orthodontist's office.

Some Psychological Benefits of Orthodontic Treatment:

Many people are not aware of the potential psychological benefits that orthodontic treatments offer. Braces have been designed that can be attached to the teeth and are nearly invisible. A nice, straight smile increases a person’s self confidence, which contributes to overall happiness and self-acceptance.

It is a fact of life that a person’s appearance can negatively influence their life in many ways, including their ability to make friends, get jobs and even find lasting love. Beginning in childhood, a person whose teeth are misaligned can suffer from being teased or bullied.

This undermines most people’s level of confidence and acceptance by their peer group, and might result in poor concentration at school, depression due to feeling unaccepted and social isolation. Malocclusion can interfere with mental and physical health.

Greater Self-Confidence

Feeling awkward about one’s appearance sometimes causes people to attempt to hide their smiles and become withdrawn or unable to express simple joys. They may hide their mouths when they laugh or talk in public, and they might not even smile in photos. Getting orthodontic treatments can change their lives in many positive ways. The best time to begin treatment is in those early, formative years.

The Importance of Social Acceptance

Opportunities to fit in can be limited for people with an unattractive smile. Since orthodontic treatment can fix these problems, a person with the best possible smile will be able to reveal their emotions and personality, which can result in being more socially accepted and active in the world.

Less Frustration

When a person has a misaligned bite, they could have trouble biting and chewing some foods and any damaged teeth can hurt the inside of their mouth. Along with making oral care and daily hygiene more difficult, crooked teeth can also cause speech problems. For patients with protruded teeth, there is always the danger of trauma to the front teeth and permanent loss of their teeth in case of a fall.

Final Thoughts

Professional orthodontic treatment has several important physical and psychological benefits for patients. Improved oral health, protecting teeth, correcting jaw problems, greater self-confidence and improved social acceptance are just some of the important benefits of getting orthodontic treatment.

Also if a patient is concerned about the appearance of braces, an Invisalign treatment with clear, Invisible trays is a great alternative to getting braces.

Invisalign treatment uses a series of virtually invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners that allow you to smile more. Invisalign clear aligners are made with 3D computer imaging technology and have been proven very effective. Interested in learning more about receiving award winning orthodontic treatment? Schedule your free consultation here.