When you have uneven teeth, including crooked and crowded teeth, or ones that overlap one another, this could lead to major problems for your oral health, and even how well you breathe at night. In today’s blog, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist explains why correcting these issues is beneficial for your oral health, and how we correct smiles with a cosmetic approach.
The Causes of Misalignment
Why do some of us develop minor or severe cases of misalignment? Factors vary, but include trouble with the growth and development of your jaw and oral structures, which in turn impacts how your teeth erupt in your smile. Thumb sucking or tongue thrusting in childhood could also be a factor, as could the premature loss of baby teeth in childhood, which alters how the permanent teeth erupt. In your teen and adult years, you could develop uneven smiles due to injury or tooth loss.
The Impact on Your Smile’s Health and Function
The causes of your uneven smile could vary, but no matter the cause the impact on your oral health is always negative. For example, poor alignment means food particles can become trapped beyond the reach of a toothbrush or piece of floss tape. As a result, the risk of tooth decay and gum disease increases. For others, poor alignment due to complications with oral structures could also impact how well you breathe, making sleep apnea more likely later in life. For others, the strain from uneven teeth on the jaw joints and bite balance could make painful disorders like TMD or bruxism (chronic teeth grinding) more likely. If you have uneven smiles, let us know. Using digital technology, we will include the factors behind your uneven teeth and assess the severity, creating a personalized treatment plan.
Cosmetic Solutions
For children, we could use a phased approach that includes retainers and teeth spacers. As patients enter their teen and adult years, we often opt for a more cosmetic approach. If braces are right for you, then we create the brackets from ceramic. We then color-match them to your smile and place them onto the front facing sides of your teeth. The only metal is a thin arch wire, so your braces are nearly invisible. We also have Invisalign® aligners, which shift the teeth and remain nearly invisible, as we craft them from clear and BPA-free plastic materials.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ORTHODONTIC CARE?
Our team wants to help you correct your uneven smiles, and improve your smile health in the process. To learn why you may benefit for our cosmetic orthodontics, then please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Azle, Saginaw, and all surrounding communities.
