For a very long time the only patients who were on teeth-correcting treatment plans were children and teenagers. This was mostly due to the challenges adults faced with wearing traditional orthodontic devices, despite the health benefits orthodontic treatment held for better oral health and function.
These benefits have fast-tracked back into the spotlight since the arrival of more comfortable and convenient orthodontic devices like Invisalign St John’s Wood. The highly-popular tray-based braces system boasts improving the smiles of 14 million patients worldwide since its introduction and counting.
The British Orthodontic Society mentions multiple benefits of teeth straightening treatment plans on oral health, from correcting bite issues to reducing damage to teeth (teeth that jut out of alignment are more at risk of damage and even loss) to improving facial aesthetics. But this list is an incomplete one without adding in the additional benefits to physical, mental and psychosocial health.
Why do orthodontists recommend orthodontics?
Investing in orthodontic treatment is an investment in overall wellbeing. Receiving treatment to correct dental alignment benefits dental health and function and general physical health. Here’s how it works.
The only way the physical body can maintain strength and optimal function is through nutrition. The teeth are the organs responsible for grinding the food down so as to make digestion easy and effective. When teeth are lost or in a state of decay, biting and chewing can be challenging or painful.
Proper dental alignment lays the foundation for a cleaner and healthier mouth. Maintaining oral hygiene is tricky when teeth are crooked or overcrowded. When patients present with dental misalignment issues, there is always the concern that runs the risk of poor oral hygiene control.
Jaw and neck pain can be a result of jaw misalignment. Patients suffering from issues related to dental or jaw misalignment will be asked to consider orthodontic treatment to provide relief from pain and better dental function.
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Teeth do not only need to be clean to remain in top condition, they need to be protected from fractures, chips and cracks. Teeth straightening treatments can help with this too.
Teeth that are not correctly in alignment or those that are prominently forward in the dental arches are at risk of damage from excessive wear and tear or from receiving a knock to the face. Bringing teeth into alignment by wearing braces helps to protect teeth from the effects of wear and tear.
It is a well-known fact that the best way to retain your natural teeth for life is through continuous good oral hygiene maintenance. In addition to keeping teeth healthy, good oral hygiene helps the body too.
Medical researchers have discovered a link between serious medical conditions like strokes and heart attacks and bad oral bacteria. These disease-causing bacteria also influence inflammatory lung conditions.
How do bad bacteria originating in the mouth end up in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems? They do so by entering the bloodstream through damaged and diseased inner structures of the teeth. Once in the bloodstream, they end up in the blood vessels where they clog up and trigger strokes.
