The Importance of a Straight Smile

The aesthetic benefit that comes with straight teeth makes sense; having straight teeth is linked to greater confidence, less anxiety, and more success in the workplace, and most of all you’ll have a smile you’ll love. But have you ever stopped to consider that having crooked teeth might be hurting more than just your confidence? 

A misaligned bite, for example, puts lots of stress on the jaw. This can cause pain while eating, chewing, and speaking and can exacerbate or even cause jaw joint pain. Bite misalignment is even linked to teeth grinding, chronic migraines, and serious medical conditions, such as sleep apnea.

Teeth that are crowded, impacted, coming in at the wrong angle, and overlapping can also cause a number of issues for your dental and overall health. These problems are linked to an increase in dental cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. By investing in orthodontic treatment for you or your child, you’re decreasing the likelihood of major dental complications later down the road. 

Space Maintainers

Yes, baby teeth are a big deal, and when they’re lost too early, it can cause a problem. Did you know one of the important roles of baby teeth is to “save space” for adult teeth and ensure that they come in straight and in the correct place? Losing a baby tooth too soon can result in the permanent teeth coming in impacted, crowded, at the wrong angle, or crooked.

A space maintainer is a great intervention for kids who lose their teeth prematurely. Space maintainers do not move and shift teeth like braces do; they simply maintain the empty space so their adult teeth have the necessary room to come in correctly.

Palatal Expanders

A narrow palate might not seem like a very big orthodontic problem, but in reality, it can cause a host of dental issues later down the road for most kids, including improper tooth alignment, many different types of crossbites, breathing issues, sleep disordered breathing, underbite, and dental crowding. 

Palate expanders are worn either all the time or 22 hours a day depending on the type. The expander slowly widens the roof of the mouth and the upper jaw, allowing enough room for your child’s teeth to erupt properly and ensuring successful braces treatment in the future. 

Palatal expanders can be used for teens and adults, but most commonly they’re used in preadolescent children and often as a preparation for braces and other orthodontic work. Like braces, they are a little bit uncomfortable at first and may require your child to eat a soft-food diet at first, but the treatment shouldn’t be painful, and the adjustment time is quick.

Clear Correct Aligners

There are advantages to clear braces for those who can get them. Clear Correct aligners are discreet, meaning nobody will ever know you’re having orthodontic work done. They’re removable, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods, and the average treatment duration is shorter than that of traditional braces—only nine to 15 months. How do Clear Correct aligners compare to Invisalign, another common clear braces treatment? Clear Correct aligners are slightly thinner than Invisalign, allowing them to be even more discrete. 

You’ll find that Clear Correct aligners are easy, effective, virtually invisible, and comfortable, and in no time you’ll have a smile you love and feel confident with. They’re very effective for most mild to moderate orthodontic cases involving crowding, overbites, underbites, and misalignment. 

Traditional Braces

Although Clear Correct aligners can do a lot and work for most orthodontic cases, there are certain circumstances that call for traditional braces. Clear aligners may not be for you if your overbite is particularly severe, if your teeth are extremely rotated, or if you have very large gaps between your teeth. Clear braces cannot raise or lower the position of the teeth in the same way traditional braces can. Finally, Clear Correct aligners are not suited for adolescents and teens who still have baby teeth. 

Traditional braces have been developed quite a bit since their early days. They are more discreet, effective, and comfortable than ever before.

The orthodontic treatment you need is available at your family dentist’s office.

We offer a variety of orthodontic treatments to resolve many different orthodontic cases. If the convenience of having orthodontics right at your family dental office is appealing to you, new patients can reach out to us for a consultation by filling out our new patient forms. We’re excited to provide you with specialized orthodontics tailored to your individual needs so you can have a straighter, healthier, and more beautiful smile.