The health benefits associated with having straight teeth
The cosmetic benefits of straight teeth are well known, but are you aware of the dental and general health benefits?
Tooth Fairy aligners create straight smiles which have a positive impact on your dental health, general health and mental well-being.
Less Bacteria in the Mouth
It is harder to brush crowded or crooked teeth properly. Poorly aligned teeth are more likely to cause food trapping as it is hard for your toothbrush to fully get in between crowded teeth making it very hard to keep clean. As a result more plaque and therefore bacteria will build up in your mouth over time.
Having straight teeth gets rid of these plaque trapping areas and allows for your toothbrush to reach all surfaces of each tooth. It also makes it much easier to get floss in between your teeth.
Overall it means it is less work to keep your teeth clean when they are straight!
Reduced Risk of Gum Disease
As mentioned above, crowded or crooked teeth can result in increased plaque levels in the mouth. If the plaque is not cleaned away, it hardens to become calculus over time. This is a hard substance that sticks really well to the teeth and can only be removed by a dentists scaler – not your toothbrush at home. It is also much easier to place floss in between two adjacent teeth when you have straight teeth.
It is this build up of plaque and calculus that eventually if left untreated, will result in gum disease. This is due to the harmful bacteria and acids making your gums sore, inflamed and bleed lots – especially on brushing. There also is a lot of new links between gum disease and the increased risk of other diseases notably heart disease and diabetes. Remember straight teeth means cleaner teeth!
Less Sensitivity and Pain
Plaque built up in the mouth due to crowded and crooked teeth can cause the gums to shrink resulting in recession. This is because the gums retreat under attack from the harmful bacteria and acids in both plaque and calculus. This is often the first sign of major gum disease.
Cosmetically this makes your teeth look much longer and exposes your roots which make your teeth look more yellow at the bottom.
It is this root exposure which results in increased sensitivity. This is because your tooth roots are different from the crowns of the teeth. They are much more sensitive to cold things such as drinks, water and ice cream.
Root sensitivity can be very painful and needs to be treated using a special varnish only available at your dentist.
As straight teeth are much easier to clean, there is less chance of plaque build up meaning there is a reduced risk of any gum recession occurring!
Reduced Risk of Tooth Loss
As mentioned earlier, if plaque and calculus are left untreated in crowded or crooked teeth, gum recession and disease will occur. As well as increased sensitivity, recession also increases the mobility of teeth. This is because there is less gum and bone present to support the teeth.
If left untreated, this gum and bone loss will result in severe tooth mobility which isn’t treatable anymore! Often these mobile teeth will become very painful and the only option left is to have them taken out.
Additionally, if the plaque and calculus are left long term, there is an increased risk of tooth decay and cavities forming. If left untreated, tooth decay can enter the nerve of the tooth resulting in severe pain and often tooth extraction.
The most common cause of tooth loss is due to gum disease and tooth decay
Having straight teeth makes it much easier to keep them clean when using your toothbrush. It is much easier for floss to get in between the teeth if they are straight. If there is less plaque build up, there is a reduced risk of any gum recession or tooth decay occurring. This means you can keep hold of your teeth for longer!
Less Suffering From Headaches
Crowded or crooked teeth cause uneven pressure distribution in the mouth and affects your bite. If the bite is not correct, over time it will affect the way your jaw comes together. This then will affect the joint that connects your jaw to your skull bone, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Common problems that occur when the TMJ is under duress are: issues chewing, clicking/locking of the jaw, headaches and severe migraines.
Straight teeth evens out the pressure distribution in the mouth by improving your bite. This is because forces such as chewing are more evenly spread out across all the teeth so each straight tooth is helping to share the load. This therefore reduces the stress on the TMJ preventing the severe headaches and any potential clicking/locking of the jaw.
Decreased Risk of Digestive Issues
The first part of digestion actually occurs in the mouth. This is where the first breakdown of food and nutrients happens. If your teeth are poorly aligned, it can mean you struggle to chew properly and not breakdown food correctly. This results in improper digestion and reduced nutritional intake. This can have an adverse effect on your general health. Regardless of how healthy the food you eat is, improper digestion will mean you may lose out on these vital nutrients.
Straight teeth makes chewing easier ensuring proper breakdown and therefore digestion of the food you are eating. This will mean you get the maximum nutritional benefit from your diet.
Overall, as this post highlights, there are many additional health benefits from having straight teeth, not just the cosmetic gain from having your perfect smile!
Fact Checked
This post has been fact checked by our clinical dentists for accuracy.
