Straight Talk About Crooked Teeth
Why are crooked teeth a problem? There are more reasons to straighten your teeth than meet the eye! Although many people straighten their teeth to look better, straight teeth in their correct position can make your mouth healthier and allow you to avoid dental problems such as gum disease and tooth breakdown in the future. Crooked teeth cause “malocclusion” or improperly aligned teeth.
Left untreated malocclusion can cause chipped or broken teeth, premature wear on teeth and even gum disease. Our teeth are designed to fit together in such a way so that the forces generated from normal biting and chewing are distributed evenly through all the teeth. When teeth are crooked, or in malocclusion, those forces are often uneven on some of the teeth. Over time this overload of forces can cause wear of the teeth and even chipped or broken teeth.
Malocclusion also makes cleaning certain places difficult and can lead to gum disease. Gum disease is inflammation in the gum tissue that eventually leads to loss of boney support around the teeth and sometimes tooth loss. Did you know that gum disease can lead to hardening of the arteries in your heart and other medical problems throughout your body? (link to something on the website or wellness blog)
A straightforward solution to crooked teeth is straightening your teeth using Invisalign adult orthodontics. Invisalign is a set of clear aligners that are custom-made to gradually straighten your teeth. There are different types of malocclusion including crowding, spacing, deep bite, cross bite, excessive over jet, edge to edge bite and open bite. Invisalign is designed to treat all types of malocclusion. When teeth are straight they are healthier. Straight teeth are more cleanable resulting in healthier gums. Straight teeth reduce the risk of abnormal wear and trauma by having an aligned bite that shares the biting and chewing forces equally through all the teeth.
Interested in straightening your smile? If your teeth are crooked it may be setting you up for future tooth and gum problems. Take a look at the Invisalign video below for more information or call our office to have an informative consultation with Dr. Jill Smith. Sign up for an appointment online! Dr. Smith has been successfully treating patients with Invisalign for over 9 years!
