Braces are brackets that orthodontists place on people’s teeth to help straighten them out and align the teeth in the correct position. While braces are thought of to help with appearance, they also have many health benefits to them. They can be an expensive medical treatment but can save money and time in the long run.
Health Benefits of Braces
Braces align the teeth into correct positions and allow people to brush and floss better by making it easier to brush the entirety of a tooth and have less hidden crevices. When teeth are in the incorrect position, some parts of the teeth can be missed entirely when brushing and this will lead to tooth decay. Brushing your teeth and being able to floss correctly also helps prevent gum disease. By spacing your teeth out correctly, braces also reduce risk of cavities by making it easier to clean your teeth. After having braces, your teeth are in better alignment and make your mouth safer and reduces the risk of chipping or cracking teeth during activities such as sports and also reduces the chance of injury from protruding teeth during these activities. Also, when your teeth are in the correct position it makes it less likely that you will grind your teeth leading to cracking and the need for more expensive treatments down the line. Lastly, when your teeth are properly aligned, chewing your food becomes easier and this leads to better digestion because the stomach can break down smaller bits of food easier than it can larger pieces.
Other Benefits of Braces
Many speech problems can actually be attributed to misaligned teeth. Sounds are made by the way your tongue moves inside of the mouth and misaligned teeth can hamper one’s ability to produce the correct sounds. Braces move teeth to the correct positions and can help alleviate speech problems that were occuring because of the shape of the newly aligned teeth. By improving your smile, you can also improve how you feel about yourself. Many people can feel self conscious about the way their teeth look and the speech impediments caused by misaligned teeth and by fixing these problems people’s self-esteem is boosted. Improving your self-esteem can have a far-reaching impact on your life and open up many opportunities.
While braces can be thought to just be an appearance changing tool, there are many more health benefits to be derived from them. When teeth are properly positioned inside of the mouth they are easier to keep clean through brushing and flossing. By keeping the teeth cleaned correctly you reduce your risk of many oral problems such as tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. Fixing the alignment of one’s teeth can be a major investment but can save tons of money and pain down the road when other oral problems develop. When the teeth are properly aligned speech problems can go away by allowing the tongue to make the proper movements. Self-esteem can be boosted by eliminating these speech problems and can be boosted further by increasing one’s happiness with their smile.
