Orthodontics: More Than Just Straightening Teeth!

More than a Cosmetic Treatment

When you think of orthodontics, your mind probably goes right to straightening teeth. What you might not know, however, is that orthodontics is not simply a cosmetic treatment. While having a perfectly-aligned, beautiful smile is one thing orthodontics offers, the main reason for it is to improve and maintain oral health not just now, but for the rest of your life.

Besides just making straight teeth, orthodontics consists of realigning the teeth into a stable and harmonious relationship, which leads to much better functionality. What exactly does that mean? With teeth that aren’t straight, a misaligned bite is very likely. During eating and various other activities, that misaligned bite can put unnecessary pressure on different parts of the mouth, which can cause jaw, muscle, and even ligament pain. This stress can eventually weaken the teeth, meaning they’re more likely to chip. If that damage is allowed to continue, you are much more likely to need tooth extractions and other laborious procedures as you get older. 

Orthodontics also dramatically improves the cleansability of your teeth. Without orthodontics, your teeth are probably overlapping each other and have very tight spaces between them. As a result, it may be impossible for you to clean certain parts of your teeth when brushing and flossing. This will allow bacteria to thrive and plaque to build up, which will certainly lead to gum disease and tooth decay. With a straight smile and well-spaced teeth, you can properly clean your teeth, which dramatically reduces your risk of oral disease. 

Beyond that, orthodontics can play a huge role in improving your ability to speak. Believe it or not, but your teeth play a huge role in speaking! If they are out of line or lean too forward/backward, your speech patterns can be thrown off. Also, spaces between teeth can cause whistling, which can be fixed by braces closing those gaps. 

Finally, orthodontics help in the digestive process. As you might’ve guessed, teeth are needed to partially help you digest food by breaking it down before you swallow. With out of line teeth, you can’t properly chew on your food, which puts strain on your digestive system.

One option for orthodontics that we recommend are traditional brackets with wires and clear aligners. We love clear aligners because they tend to be far less noticeable, they make cleaning your teeth much easier, and they are more comfortable. 

Feel free to let our staff know if you have any questions about getting started with orthodontics!

Dr. Richard D. Sellen is a licensed dentist in Willow Glen, San Jose, California. If you are ready for a healthy and beautiful smile, head on over to our contact page or give us a call at 408.264.3133.