If your child needs braces, they may see the treatment as purely cosmetic. After all, orthodontics’ most apparent effect is a beautifully-straight smile. However, the reality is that there are several health benefits of straight teeth. Braces would thus strengthen your child’s whole body, leading to a higher quality of life. Your Naperville orthodontist would be happy to explain further. To that end, here are four physical health perks of a straight smile.
Easier Oral Care & Maintenance
Unaligned teeth don’t just look bad; they also tend to be unhealthy. When overcrowded or too widely spaced, these chompers can irritate and inflame your gums. From there, you might suffer from gum serious gum disease.
In contrast, aligned teeth are usually healthier and easier to clean. They irritate your gums far less and allow you to brush and floss properly. As a result, they reduce your risk of severe oral health issues.
Less Dental Wear & Tear
When teeth are crooked, they often suffer more physical damage. Biting with them causes excess pressure on specific areas to wear away your enamel. Should that happen, your pearly whites could suffer cracks, chips, or breaks.
Thankfully, teeth straightened by orthodontics are different. These kinds can handle biting and chewing without problems arising. As such, they’re much less likely to break or fracture.
Reduced Neck and Jaw Pain
As it turns out, a crooked smile can trigger chronic neck and jaw pain. After all, misaligned teeth can cause a misaligned jaw. The latter, in turn, leads to chronic pain in your neck, face, and jaw. These can eventually result in headaches, migraines, and TMJ disorder.
Of course, aligning your smile and jaw can fix this issue. Doing so causes your body to put less pressure on your jawbone. You’d then endure far fewer headaches and chew more easily.
Better Digestion
If you don’t already know, crooked teeth aren’t good for chewing. They break food apart slowly and inefficiently. Therefore, these kinds hinder digestion and make your stomach and intestines work harder.
On the other hand, aligned teeth are the exact opposite. They chew food thoroughly and thus speed up digestion. Naturally, such facts mean they help your body get more nutrition from meals.
As you can see, the health benefits of straight teeth are significant. That being the case, see your dental provider for orthodontic work soon!
About the Practice
G&G Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is based in Naperville, IL. Led by Drs. Cory and Nicole, our practice is wholly committed to each child patient’s smile. We thus offer comprehensive dentistry, including high-quality preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services. Our office is also a certified provider of the very best in orthodontics, like Invisalign clear aligners and traditional braces. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (630)-778-9500.
