The position of your teeth is an important consideration in your mouth’s proper function. Your teeth must be properly aligned to efficiently displace the pressure of the powerful human bite. When one or more of your teeth are crooked, it can lead to complications throughout your oral health. Your Austin dentist, Dr. Van Wicklen, explains why you shouldn’t ignore your misaligned smile and offers a solution that allows you to discreetly restore the function to your smile.
Straighter Teeth are Healthier Teeth
Even if your crooked teeth did not bother you, and you were proud to show your misaligned smile, multiple oral health issues can arise from teeth that are not in their proper place. For instance, dental plaque, which consists of hundreds of different kinds of bacteria, can hide in the crevices and odd spaces created by misaligned teeth. These germs are the cause of tooth decay, gum disease, and chronic bad breath (halitosis). While brushing and flossing typically removes plaque before it becomes an issue, crooked teeth provide odd crevices and spaces for the microbes to hide, often out of reach from traditional tooth brushing. Not straightening your teeth can significantly increase your risk of developing a chronic dental disease.
Straight Teeth Work Better
Aside from providing solace to oral bacteria, crooked teeth can also throw your bite off balance enough to overstress the mechanisms that control it. Your temporomandibular joints, or TMJs, attach your lower jaw (mandible) to your skull, and along with the muscles that surround them, they allow your jaw to move when you bite, chew, and speak. Crooked teeth can create an uneven field for the pressure of your bite, forcing your jaw to work harder to keep your teeth aligned for proper function. The excessive stress can damage your TMJs and lead to excruciating discomfort in your jaw, face, head, neck, mouth, and shoulder region—a condition known as TMJ disorder, or TMD.
Straighten Your Teeth Discreetly with Invisalign
As an older teen or adult, you may feel apprehensive about the metal apparatus traditionally used to straighten teeth. With innovative Invisalign clear braces, you can realign your smile without announcing your treatment to the world with traditional metal braces. Using a series of custom-designed, clear plastic aligners, Invisalign gently moves your teeth into place following a pattern of movement prescribed by Dr. Van Wicklen. To learn more about discreet clear braces, speak with your Austin dentist as soon as possible. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Van Wicklen by calling 512-448-3131. Located in the 78704 area, we proudly serve the cities of Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Cedar Park, and all surrounding communities.
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