Las Vegas Braces use gentle, constant pressure to gradually shift teeth. This helps them align properly, which aids digestion before food reaches the stomach.
Irregularly positioned teeth create crevices that can trap food, causing bacteria to build up and erode the tooth enamel. With braces, patients can brush and floss their teeth more effectively to prevent health issues.
While wearing braces, it’s crucial to maintain good oral hygiene practices. Food particles can easily get stuck in the tight spaces between crooked teeth, increasing your risk for cavities and gum disease. Luckily, braces make it easier to clean your teeth by closing gaps and eliminating hiding spots for harmful bacteria. To help you keep your teeth and braces clean, orthodontists recommend carrying a mini dental hygiene kit that includes a soft toothbrush, floss threaders, and interdental brushes to remove food bits and larger debris from under wires and around brackets. They also provide guidelines for avoiding hard foods that can damage your braces, like popcorn, bubblegum, and taffy.
Misaligned and overcrowded teeth can interfere with your tongue’s movement during speech production, resulting in slurred or difficult-to-pronounce sounds. Braces correct these issues, allowing your tongue to move freely as you speak and improve your overall pronunciation. This can boost your confidence both in social and professional situations and can have a profound impact on your quality of life.
Overcrowding and crooked teeth often lead to an improper bite, which can put excessive strain on specific teeth and increase the risk of premature wear and tear. By correcting these issues, braces distribute the forces of your chewing evenly across all your teeth, reducing the risk for premature tooth damage and helping to minimize jaw pain. In addition, they can help prevent temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. These disorders, which can be caused by misaligned teeth and bite problems, can cause headaches, jaw pain, and other chronic dental conditions. They can even affect the rest of your body, including your heart and lungs.
Better Speech
One of the less-recognized benefits of orthodontic treatment is that it helps with speech problems, especially lisps. A lisp is caused by the way your mouth and tongue are aligned. In many cases, crooked teeth and misaligned jaws can cause a slurred speech or a whistling sound as you speak. By correcting bite and tooth alignment issues, braces can often eliminate a lisp.
While it might take some time to get used to the feel of having braces, once your mouth adjusts to the presence of these new appliances, you’ll find that your speech returns to normal or near-normal. It’s important to remember that this is temporary, and the extra effort you put into pronouncing certain words might help you to speed up your adjustment period.
If you are concerned about how your speech will be affected by having braces, we suggest that you consult with a speech pathologist or therapist who can recommend specific methods for improving articulation while you have braces on. It is also helpful to practice reading aloud and having conversation with friends or family members who are supportive of your journey.
Some people have mild to moderate lisps while they are wearing braces, and this is usually related to how the lips are aligned with the tongue. You can try to address this by practicing your speech, and using a voice recorder or speech drill tapes can be a great way to keep track of how you’re progressing. It’s also a good idea to visit your orthodontist for some speech exercises and to make sure that your mouth is adjusting to the presence of the braces in a healthy manner.
Better Bone Health
Over time, a diet high in sugar leads to tooth decay. The bacteria that attack the teeth produce acid, which erodes and weakens the enamel. Braces help to prevent these problems by encouraging healthy teeth and gums. Over time, misaligned teeth and an improper bite place extra stress on the gum tissues and bones, which can lead to bone loss. By realigning the teeth, the pressure is relieved and the bones begin to naturally rebuild.
A common cause of bad breath is food particles stuck between crooked or overlapping teeth. The tongue cannot properly reach these areas to remove them. Braces reduce this problem by creating fewer gaps and spaces between the teeth, which makes it easier to clean the mouth.
Misaligned teeth can also impact the way you pronounce words, causing speech impediments such as a lisp. Braces can correct the alignment of the teeth and jaw, which improves speech clarity and helps you communicate more effectively.
Overlapping and crooked teeth allow food particles to become trapped between them, which results in bacteria build-up and bad breath. When the teeth are correctly aligned, food is chewed properly, which aids in digestion and keeps the stomach healthy. This is why it’s important to maintain good dental health and visit your dentist for routine cleanings and checkups.
Reduced Risk of Gum Disease
One of the primary benefits of braces is that they correct misalignments in the teeth and bite. Crooked and crowded teeth are difficult to clean effectively, which leads to increased risk of dental problems like cavities and gum disease. On the other hand, well-aligned teeth are easier to brush and floss, which leads to improved oral hygiene.
One common misalignment is an overbite, where the upper front teeth overlap significantly with the lower teeth when closing the mouth. Braces help to reduce this problem by gradually moving the upper and lower teeth into their proper positions. Another common bite issue is an underbite, where the lower teeth extend beyond the upper teeth when you close your mouth. Braces can help to correct this problem by adjusting the positioning of the lower teeth to improve chewing function and reduce jaw pain.
Overcrowded or crooked teeth can also create tight spaces and pockets where food particles and plaque collect. This can lead to swollen gums and increase your risk of gingivitis, which is the first stage of periodontitis. Braces remove these hiding places and make it easy to maintain a thorough brushing routine, which cuts down on bacteria and plaque build-up.
Another benefit of wearing braces is that they can help you eat more comfortably. Chewing food is more efficient when the teeth are properly aligned, which helps with the digestion process. This is important because improper digestion can contribute to stomach issues, including gas and bloating.
Better Self-Esteem
The most obvious benefit of wearing braces is that it gives you a more confident smile. Many people who have crooked teeth are often self-conscious about their appearance, especially when smiling or talking in social situations. However, having straighter teeth not only makes your smile more attractive, it also boosts your self-esteem as you feel better about yourself.
When you have a straighter smile, it’s easier to take care of your teeth properly and avoid problems like dental plaque that can hide in hard-to-reach areas. This is why many orthodontic patients choose to address crowding issues before they worsen, so their dentist can ensure their smile is healthy and straight after treatment.
Additionally, if you have misaligned teeth, it’s more difficult to brush and floss, which increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. When you have braces, it’s easier to brush and floss your teeth so they stay clean and free of cavities. This is why it’s important to visit your orthodontist regularly while you have braces.
During the treatment process, it’s normal to experience some dips in your self-esteem due to diet restrictions or discomfort during appointments. However, it’s important to remember that these feelings are temporary and the end result of your braces will be a beautiful smile that radiates confidence.
Whether you’re in need of braces or considering getting them in the future, it’s vital to learn more about all of the benefits that they offer. Contact us today to book your free consultation and start the journey toward a healthier, straighter smile! The results of your orthodontic treatment will make you feel more confident and capable, and your beautiful smile will last a lifetime.