Long-term Health Benefits of Having Straight Teeth

For many, one of the appeals of straightening their teeth is the improvement of appearance and facial aesthetics. Having straight and white teeth is a beauty standard that is highly desired. The power of a beautiful, healthy smile can make a big difference in our lives, whether it is enhancing others’ perception of us or boosting our own confidence levels. Though straight teeth are usually associated with superficial benefits such as attractiveness, the advantages extend beyond this. In dental orthodontics, getting teeth and bites corrected have improved the lives and health of adults, teens and children everywhere. From health benefits to a boost in confidence, let’s explore how straightening your teeth helps you in the long run.

Minimising Cavities

Maintaining proper teeth care is much more challenging for those with crooked or crowded teeth. During brushing and flossing, only certain surface areas of the teeth can be reached, neglecting the areas in between. This can result in the build-up of plaque, which can lead to cavities. In addition, straightening your teeth can help to eliminate spaces between the teeth where food particles and debris are often caught and left to decay.

Improved Speech

Crooked or overlapping teeth can shift your tongue’s position and allow air to pass through the gaps between your teeth. When this happens, pronunciation of certain words may result in lisps, slurring or unintentional whistles. Straightening your smile can help eradicate such problems. With dental orthodontic treatments including braces or Invisalign, a healthier smile can be achieved to correct and improve your speech, paving the way for a more confident speaker. Positive results can be seen as early as six months after starting treatment!

Less Wear and Tear

Inflamed, puffy gums can result from uneven teeth. If left untreated, chronic inflammation may develop into periodontal disease and sores. The extra stress placed on your other teeth when you avoid chewing on a certain side of the mouth due to inflammation may further damage them. This unnatural grinding of the teeth causes excessive wear, which not only increases your risk for tooth decay but may also introduce multiple issues from temporomandibular disorder to sinus. Straightening your smile in an orthodontic clinic reduces the pressure on your teeth and gums, which allows you to chew without pain and minimises wear and tear on the teeth.

Better Digestion

Misaligned teeth such as crooked and open bite can make chewing difficult, and the food may not break down as well as it should. When food is not properly chewed, your gut works harder to digest them, which could lead to gastrointestinal problems in the future. Straightening your teeth aligns them in such a way that your bite works correctly. This allows you to chew your food more thoroughly, thus, aiding in digestion. In this way, long-term gut health and happiness can be maintained.

Reduce Jaw and Neck Pain

Jaw and neck pain can arise from several reasons from tension to allergies. However, if these causes don’t seem to apply to you, then there is the possibility that it stems from malocclusion, which refers to having a poor bite or jaw shape. This condition places extra pressure on your gums and jaw, resulting in chronic jaw and neck discomfort. Straightening your teeth allows your joints to work correctly, creating less stress and tension on your jaws. Seek help and advice from Orthodontists in Singapore.

Improved Overall Quality of Life

Ultimately, the above long-term benefits enhance the overall quality of life as fewer pains and discomforts are experienced. Furthermore, there is no denying the increased levels of self-esteem that comes with a beautiful smile. Research has revealed that smiling can positively impact our physical and mental health, and a set of straight pearly whites is the ultimate reason for you to flaunt that smile.

At MyBracesClinic, we’re an orthodontic clinic in Singapore that is all about helping you smile better. With a range of solutions catered to different treatment needs, getting your teeth straightened can be easily achieved.

Book an appointment with us for a straighter smile today!

Dr Poon Kee Hwang

Dental Specialist in Orthodontics

Dr Poon has been practising Invisalign and Incognito lingual braces since 2007. She is currently an Invisalign Diamond Provider and an International Invisalign Speaker and member of the Invisalign APAC faculty.
 
This is in recognition of her experience, expertise and in-depth understanding of the Invisalign System, which she uses to treat a diverse range of malocclusions from kids to adults and even Surgery-First cases.

Read more about her.