We all know that braces straighten our teeth, but do you know of other health benefits that come with them?
Having a beautiful smile is crucial for your looks and confidence. Besides cosmetic benefits, braces boost your self-esteem and improve your physical and emotional health. Braces also impact on your relationships and enhance your productivity at work.
Furthermore, the health advantages of orthodontic treatment are numerous.
Can having bad teeth affect your health?
Individuals are exposed to several health risks when they have tooth problems. Having tooth problems is usually associated with dental cavities, cephalalgia, gum infections, and jaw inflammation. Even worse, it may lead to severe disorders like cardiac diseases, strokes, and respiratory system disorders.
Additionally, if malocclusion areas are not cleaned properly, they may cause tension on your jaw muscles and crooked teeth as well. Orthodontic therapy can correct regular tooth issues such as crowding of teeth, underbite, and overbite.
Besides cosmetic benefits, we will discuss the benefits of braces at an in-depth level.
Braces prevent gum disease
If the spaces between your teeth are relatively small, food particles are likely to get trapped. This can cause increased risks of gum infections. How do braces prevent gum disease? Braces lead to the appropriate positioning of all teeth. This enables you to clean your teeth and gums properly. Additionally, it makes it easier to floss your teeth.
Prevention of dental cavities
Dental cavities result from inadequately cleaning your teeth. It is often caused by bacteria trapped in spaces between teeth that cause the production of acid. The acid then builds up and destroys your tooth enamel, thus causing dental cavities. Braces lead to the healthy spacing between teeth, leading to proper cleaning and brushing of teeth.
Prevent bone erosion
Bacteria is often trapped in between teeth spaces and causes bone erosion. Braces foster proper cleaning of teeth. If teeth are adequately cleaned, this will not occur since no bacteria will be present in tooth spaces.
Help with Digestion
If you have crooked teeth and your teeth are not correctly placed, you may not be able to chew food properly. As a result, your stomach will have a hard time digesting food and may cause digestion problems.
Prevent injury
Misaligned teeth are prone to get injured during accidents or sports. Braces help in aligning teeth, thus causing teeth to be more resistant to injury.
Assist with speech
Misaligned teeth will affect your pronunciation of words. Braces straighten your teeth and, in turn, enhance the way your way of speaking.
Are braces worth the cost?
Orthodontic treatment decreases your chances of getting infected with other health infections. But does it offer value for money?
It depends on your perception and problem. Let’s say; you find it challenging to cleanse your teeth thoroughly because of malocclusions. You will likely spend lots of money trying to fix this problem as it may lead to pain, cracked teeth, and jaw disorders. In most cases, dentists will address your problem’s symptoms more than the source of your problem. However, it is advisable to go through orthodontic treatment and solve your problem once and for all.
Moreover, you can undergo orthodontic treatment even though your malocclusions are not causing severe symptoms. This form of therapy will deal with the root cause of the issue, thus preventing further problems.
Your health insurance will often cover the costs, making it easier for you to pay for treatment.
Moreover, orthodontic treatment has a lot of long-term benefits. It is thus important to discuss your dental health with your orthodontist and figure out the way forward.
Do braces hurt?
The process of braces installation usually takes about one or two hours. You likely experience soreness, discomfort, and spasms after some hours of installation. The pain will last for a maximum of one week until the braces appropriately adjust in your mouth.
Pain killers and anti-inflammatory medicines can soothe the pain away. Additionally, to ease the pain, you should avert hard foods that require chewing. Alternatively, ensure you take soft foods or blend foods so that you avoid chewing. Also, eat healthy foods, mainly those free from sugar, to prevent any other inflammation. Ultimately, it is crucial to note that you’ll take some time before you get used to the braces, and discomfort may occur occasionally.
Conclusion
These are among the many health benefits of braces. Therefore, it is now clear that they offer not only cosmetic benefits but also numerous health benefits. However, the thought of the brace installation process can be intimidating, but do not get frightened. Once you have the proper information, you’ll realize it’s not as daunting as you thought. You have to be aware of some of the things about braces that will help you prepare for them.
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