If you have teeth that are crooked, protruding, crowded, or spread out, or your teeth don’t line up when you close your mouth, you have a malocclusion.
For some, this can be a confidence killer. It can make you self-conscious about your appearance, and you may hide your smile. On the flip side, it may not bother you. And, if it doesn’t impact you in this way, you may wonder whether it’s worth straightening your teeth.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the reasons to straighten your teeth, why they have developed this way in the first place, and how treatment works.
Why Should I Straighten My Teeth?
The position of your teeth can impact your oral health. Often regarded as a cosmetic issue, misaligned, gappy, or overcrowded teeth are prone to developing tooth decay. This is because some surfaces are more challenging to clean.
Alignment issues may cause jaw problems, too. Tension in your jaw may cause pain in its joint with your skull, leading to neck, head, and shoulder pain.
If you have a misaligned bite, you may also have difficulty chewing. In some cases, it can also affect your speech.
Teeth straightening addresses all these problems. Not only will you have a more aesthetically pleasing smile, but you can also enjoy better oral health.
Why Are My Teeth Misaligned?
Having issues with the position of your teeth is common. There are several reasons why your teeth may have developed like this.
One of the most common reasons is genetics. Often, if your jaw is quite small, your teeth will become crowded. To accommodate all of your teeth, some may develop at an angle. Alternatively, a larger jaw may mean teeth are spread out. But even with more space, teeth can become crooked over time.
Sometimes an injury or illness causes misalignments. Another common factor is habits like thumb and dummy sucking later into childhood as well as tongue thrusting. These habits change the jaw shape and cause teeth to protrude or face inwards.
How Does Teeth Straightening Work?
All teeth straightening treatments work in the same basic way. Applying slight, constant force to your teeth will gradually move them over time. Straightening teeth can take months or even years, and every treatment requires precision planning.
These days, we’re guided by powerful planning software that helps us calculate your treatment step-by-step. During a teeth straightening consultation, we can even create digital images of how your smile will look after completing your treatment.
What Treatments Can Help?
At SmileMore Dental Care, we use Invisalign. This is a popular, removable clear aligner system. Wearing a transparent plastic aligner for 22 hours each day will slowly move your teeth into the perfect position.
You can take your aligner out to eat or brush your teeth, but you must remember to put it back in. It’s comfortable, so you can sleep wearing it.
Every two weeks, you’ll need to change your aligner. Each aligner moves the teeth a fraction of a millimetre. Although it will look similar to the last, it’s important to wear each new aligner in order and follow the treatment plan.
Many people love Invisalign because it’s very subtle. Most people won’t even notice you’re wearing an aligner!
Invisalign at SmileMore Dental Care
Even if the position of your teeth doesn’t bother you, it could still cause later health problems. Teeth straightening with Invisalign is subtle and convenient. Call us today and schedule your Invisalign consultation.
