The medical benefits of braces - giving you not only a beautiful smile, but a healthy one too.

Approximately 4 million people in the United States are wearing braces at any given time. They have risen in popularity and availability in the 300 years that they have been around. Not only do they straighten teeth, but there are many health benefits to be aware of when considering them. 

Improve your oral health 

Your teeth may overlap and begin to crowd one another, making it more difficult to properly take care of your oral health. When teeth can not be cleaned properly it leads to buildup of bacteria that can cause gum disease and cavities. Straighter teeth are significantly easier to clean, brush, and floss. Braces can help you maintain your oral health and prevent gum disease and cavities. 

Help with digestion 

Braces help improve your “bite,” which is the dental term describing how well your top and bottom teeth fit together. When there are gaps in your teeth, or even missing ones, it can affect the way food is chewed and thus broken down. This just means it can take a little bit longer for the stomach to break down what has just been eaten. Braces help fix the alignment of your bite. With better alignment you have the ability to chew food more thoroughly and digest it fully. 

Prevent jawbone erosion 

Misaligned teeth are known to lead to bone loss. With misaligned teeth, bacteria has an easier time lingering in your mouth and eating away at the bone leading to erosion. With the alignment of teeth through braces this can be prevented. Braces help stretch the periodontal ligament, the soft connective tissue between the socket and root of the tooth, which leads to teeth straightening. Over the duration of having braces, the bones naturally begin to rebuild themselves in their new spots. 

Improve your speech 

Teeth play a crucial role in how we pronounce words. Malocclusion, or misaligned teeth, often lead to speech problems. Braces help adjust the position of teeth which gives you clearer speech. Realigning the teeth also gives the tongue more room to move around and reduces the slurring of words. 

Boost your confidence

Confidence is extremely important to how we succeed in life. While braces have many oral health benefits, this increase in confidence leads to higher self-esteem. People that are embarassed of their smiles are less likely to take risks in the workplace. When a person feels confidence from their smile they are more likely to be happy, have greater productivity, less social anxiety, and overall great oral health.

It is clear that the health benefits of getting braces are as important as the confidence that straight teeth bring. Braces are a costly investment, but with all of the benefits they provide they are definitely an investment to consider to maintain your oral health.