When you have dental misalignment, this could cause a major negative impact on the appearance of your smile. You may even feel hesitant to smile or pose for pictures. But uneven smiles also cause trouble for the function and health of your smile. In today’s blog, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist talks about how this impacts your smile.
Tooth Decay and More
When you have an uneven smile, this makes thorough brushing and flossing difficult. There could be spaces for food particles to become trapped. Harmful oral bacteria will then consume these trapped particles, especially those left behind by starchy or sugary foods and drinks, which creates higher levels of oral acidity and coats the teeth in plaque. Now, the smile is more vulnerable to the onset of tooth decay and gum disease, leading to poor oral health.
Strained Jaw Joints
Uneven teeth often mean the overall bite balance is upset and the jaw joints have become strained. As a result, the risk of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding) is more likely. These disorders can cause headaches and jaw pain, and even damage teeth to lead to decay and infection. By correcting misalignment, you restore balance and bring relief to the jaw joints, preventing worsening pain and safeguarding the smile as a result.
Possible Solutions
For young children, we could start with a phased approach. This means that we use teeth spacers or retainers to help guide the growth of the smile, limiting the impact of misalignment until the teen years. At this point, we could correct misalignment with braces (using tooth-colored brackets for a less visible treatment) and Invisalign® aligners. We also use these options for adults seeking orthodontic care too. The option we select is based on a detailed exam of your smile, and we keep an eye on the process with periodic office visits, ensuring you’re receiving optimal results in the timeframe we originally discussed.
If you have any questions about how we correct misalignment and how this benefits your smile, then contact our team today to schedule a consultation. We would love to help you and your family enjoy better oral health and a more attractive smile!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT?
We want to help you enjoy straighter smiles and better oral health too, which is why we offer care for people of all ages, even if they have severe cases of misalignment. If you have any questions about correcting your smile with a cosmetic approach, or if you would like to schedule an appointment soon, please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Springtown, Rome, and all surrounding communities.
