Straighter Teeth Often Means Healthier Teeth

Most people have orthodontic treatment to improve their smile, but there are other benefits too

It isn’t unusual to have teeth that are not perfectly straight. In fact, most of us could probably identify some small flaws in the straightness of our teeth if we haven’t already had orthodontic treatment.

Where once, we may probably have simply accepted this, the wide range of teeth straightening treatments now available and the awareness of the difference a great smile can make, means that more and more people are booking appointments to see the orthodontist at our Ipswich dentist’s surgery.

There is little doubt that having straighter teeth means that you will have a more attractive smile. Whether there is general crookedness of your teeth or simply a couple of visible front teeth that overlap, the reality is that people will most likely notice these flaws. Straightening your teeth can often mean that you will start to feel much more confident in yourself and in your smile.

It isn’t just a great looking smile that can be achieved with this increasingly popular treatment though. The reality is that straighter teeth are also more likely to be healthy teeth too. Our Foxhall dental practice team explains why this is the case.

Ease of cleaning

Perhaps the most obvious reason that straighter teeth are usually healthier is simply because they are much easier to keep clean, especially at home. The fact is that uneven, crowded and overlapping teeth mean that food debris and bacteria have many places to become trapped. These areas can be quite small and make it very difficult for toothbrush bristles or dental floss to get into to remove the debris. By having your teeth straightened by our dentists, not only is food less likely to become trapped but cleaning your teeth effectively will also become much easier.

Straightening your teeth will not only have a positive effect on your teeth by making them easier to clean, but will mean that your gums are also kept clean more efficiently too. As you will know from some of our previous blogs, gum disease can be quite devastating, sometimes resulting in tooth loss, so this is a benefit well worth having.

The ‘domino’ effect

In addition to changing your appearance, having a tooth that becomes crooked can also have an ongoing effect. Once a tooth moves, it starts to create a space next to it, and where previously, the tooth next to it would have been prevented from moving as another tooth was in its way, this is now no longer the case and the tooth is now free to move. As this one moves, so the one next to that can also move and so we have a possible domino effect that can lead to several of our teeth becoming crooked and uneven, potentially spoiling our smile.

 Irregular stress and wear

Our teeth should meet the corresponding tooth in a specific way. This is the way they are meant to be but when one of the teeth moves, the teeth may now not meet on the biting surfaces and may instead meet at another part of the tooth where the enamel is thinner and weaker. This can lead to the enamel being compromised, with the possibility of tooth decay and overly sensitive teeth becoming a reality.

Speech impediments

Certain types of tooth crookedness such as protruding teeth can contribute to some people having speech defects. This is not always the case but if it affects you, it is worth contacting our Ipswich dental practice to make an appointment to see if this is being caused by uneven teeth or other treatable oral defects.

Resolving the problem

There is only one way to straighten teeth and that is through the use of orthodontic treatment. Some people are put off the idea of this, probably due to memories of people with highly visible braces when they were younger. These days though, there are a wide variety of orthodontic systems available that are designed not only to straighten your teeth effectively but to do so in a more discreet way too.

There are systems available for small and largely cosmetic changes, such as the Quick Straight Teeth System, and also others where more significant correction is needed. Indeed, one of the most popular of these, Invisalign, doesn’t even use traditional wiring but instead uses a series of removable trays for better oral health and convenience when eating.

If you have crooked teeth, whether the issue is relatively small or more significant, why not consult our cosmetic dentists to see how we can help? If you would like to make an enquiry about having orthodontic treatment, please call the Foxhall Dental Practice today on 01473 258396.