Is straightening your teeth important to your overall health?

If you have misaligned teeth, you may think it’s just a cosmetic issue. However, the reality is that straightening your teeth doesn’t only affect the aesthetics of your smile; it can have a real impact on your health, too. Here’s why.

Straight Teeth Are Easier to Clean

Having crooked teeth doesn’t just make you self-conscious. It also makes it more difficult for you to keep your teeth clean. When your teeth are misaligned, they are prone to building up bacteria. And unfortunately, crooked teeth are much harder to brush and floss effectively. Over time, that means plaque remains between your teeth and can lead to cavities and gum disease, along with more serious problems like periodontitis and other infections.

In contrast, when you straighten your teeth, you’ll have an easier time brushing and flossing. And if you find flossing painful, you’ll be relieved to know you can expect the process to be far more comfortable after straightening your teeth. Moreover, you’ll be able to effectively remove the plaque that accumulates on your teeth, too, which is important since poor oral health can lead to a host of other health problems.

Straight Teeth Function Better

When your teeth are misaligned, they can’t function properly. You aren’t able to effectively chew your food. Since chewing is the first step in the digestive process, improperly chewing food can cause other digestive issues. Plus, since misaligned teeth are more prone to breaking and decay, it can become painful to chew, as well.

Straightening your teeth may relieve these problems. When your teeth are aligned properly, you can better grind your food, and you won’t be as likely to experience pain when you eat.

Straightening Your Teeth May Improve Your Mental Health

Many people are self-conscious about their smiles. If your teeth are crooked, you may not feel comfortable talking or smiling, and you may even have experienced bullying because of your teeth. It’s an unfortunate reality that having misaligned teeth seriously undermines our confidence and comfort in interacting with others. That, in turn, can lead to anxiety and depression. Plus, misaligned teeth also contribute to speech disorders, which can further erode self-confidence.

Straightening your teeth, on the other hand, is likely to increase your confidence. You’ll have a beautiful smile you can feel good about presenting to the world. You also may find that other issues, like speech problems, improve once your teeth have been straightened.

Straightening Your Teeth Reduces Your Risk of Many Health Conditions

Crooked teeth wear unevenly, which is linked to eroded enamel, broken teeth, headaches, and problems with the bones and joints in your jaws. Since having crooked teeth affects how thoroughly you are able to clean them and how well you can chew your food, it impacts your overall health, too. In fact, dental health has been linked to a wide variety of health conditions throughout the body, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, pregnancy complications, and pneumonia.

Because straightening your teeth makes them easier to care for and less likely to develop complications, your overall health is likely to improve as well. That’s why straightening your teeth shouldn’t be viewed as an unnecessary luxury or a matter of vanity. It’s truly important to your overall health and well-being.

Fortunately, straightening your teeth is easier than ever before. With options like Invisalign, you can straighten your teeth comfortably and discreetly, too. Contact us today to learn more or get started.