Braces are an excellent orthodontic treatment for adults, teens, and children. They straighten crooked, misaligned, spaced, or crowded teeth to restore tooth function, improve speech, and enhance your smile or confidence. However, some people do not realize they need braces until later, when they experience a severe dental issue. Dentists recommend braces early in a child’s life, but even adults can benefit from them. You can talk to a qualified dentist about some of the dental issues you are experiencing and the kind of results you want. Here are examples of indications that your dentist may recommend braces:
If Your Teeth are Crowded or Crooked
The natural teeth do not always develop in perfect alignment. You may notice that your teeth are crowded and crooked, as if there is not enough space on the gums for them to fit perfectly. Some teeth overlap others, and others may develop at odd angles. These are prevalent orthodontic problems that affect many people, including adults. In addition to affecting your speech, these teeth will also affect how you smile, socialize, and feel confident. They are also challenging to keep clean, especially when you cannot reach all your teeth when brushing. Thus, they may also affect your dental hygiene, increasing your risk of cavities and periodontal disease.
You need braces to straighten your crowded and crooked teeth. Braces gradually move your teeth into perfect alignment with your gums. The truth is, all your natural teeth can fit nicely on the gums with proper orthodontic treatment. This way, you can smile and socialize again with confidence. You can also practice effective oral hygiene, including brushing and flossing, to reduce your risk of developing cavities and periodontal disease.
If you visit a dentist with crowded or crooked teeth, they will first examine your teeth, gums, and jawbone to determine the proper treatment. They will discuss your needs, treatment history, and expected results. This information will help your dentist develop a treatment plan that suits your needs and preferences. They will explain how braces work to ensure you are well-informed before you begin treatment.
If You Have Visible Gaps or Spacing on Your Teeth
Natural teeth are usually not stacked on top of each other; they ideally develop with even spaces between them to allow effective brushing and flossing. However, some people have more spacing between their teeth than usual. If you have visible gaps and the gaps affect your smile, confidence, and how your teeth function, you could benefit from braces.
Visible gaps between your teeth can trap food whenever you eat, creating a conducive environment for harmful cavity-causing bacteria. This increases your risk of developing cavities and periodontal disease. Spaced-out teeth may also cause functional problems due to an improper bite. Since your teeth do not align properly when you bite down, you could experience uneven tooth wear and be at risk of TMJ disorders. People with visible gaps in their teeth also feel shy when smiling or socializing. This may affect how you feel about yourself.
Braces can gradually straighten your teeth, ensuring that each tooth shifts to its rightful position in your mouth. This will fix any excessive gap between them and ensure that your teeth align properly when you close your jaw. Braces will solve all the issues you experience with spaced-out teeth, including eliminating food traps that encourage the growth of harmful bacteria.
If your dentist recommends braces for your spaced teeth, they will discuss the different types to help you make informed decisions. Traditional metal braces are very common. They are inexpensive and effective, but they are visible. They also take about two years or more to straighten your teeth.
If You Have an Overbite or Underbite
Naturally, the teeth on your upper and lower jaws should come together perfectly when you close your mouth. While this may not seem that important, an imperfect bite affects your speech and the appearance of your teeth, and may strain your jaw and cause irregular wear.
An overbite happens when your upper front teeth extend far over those on the lower jaw. This may cause you to constantly bite the roof of your mouth, increasing the risk of damage to your front teeth. It may also affect your smile, or confidence. An underbite happens when your lower teeth sit in front of the upper teeth when you close your mouth. This may cause excessive wear on your teeth when you bite down, and result in pain due to jaw strain.
Fortunately, braces can fix overbites and underbites, putting an end to all the issues you are experiencing. Thus, it is an excellent idea to speak to your dentist if you have a bite issue. They will examine your teeth to determine the extent of your bite problem and then develop a treatment plan that will eventually fix the bite problem.
Remember that you have different types of braces to choose from, depending on your budget, preference, and desired results. While metal braces are very common, they may not be ideal for you if you prefer a discreet treatment. This is common among adults and celebrities who want to enjoy the benefits of braces without everyone knowing. In this case, the dentist may recommend clear aligners. They use a similar treatment mechanism to metal braces to gradually move your teeth over time.
If You Have a Crossbite or Open Bite
You could also benefit from braces if you have a crossbite or open bite. Braces straighten your teeth and ensure that your teeth in the upper and lower jaws meet properly when you close your mouth.
A cross bite happens when the teeth on your upper and lower jaws do not correctly align, because some upper teeth go on top of the lower teeth, and some upper teeth sit behind the lower teeth. A cross bite not only affects your smile, but also how you chew or bite, speak, and your oral health. It may also cause an uneven growth of your jawbone, putting you at a greater risk of TMJ disorders.
On the other hand, an open bite occurs when you have a visible gap between the upper and lower teeth whenever you bite down. This may occur for various reasons, including prolonged pacifier use, thumbsucking, or tongue thrusting. It affects your smile, confidence, speech, and other dental functions.
When you wear braces, they apply gentle pressure on your teeth, pushing them into their rightful positions in your mouth. This pressure persists for several months until your teeth properly align. During the treatment period, the dentist will adjust the braces by tightening or replacing the wires to maintain constant pressure. Once the treatment period is complete, your dentist will recommend a retainer to help keep your teeth in their new positions for years. This ensures that your treatment is effective.
If You Have a TMJ Disorder
If you experience jaw pain or a clicking sound when you open and close your mouth, you may have a TMJ disorder. This disorder causes pain and dysfunction in your jaw joint and the surrounding muscles. It affects the temporomandibular joint, which is responsible for jaw movement and controls critical functions like chewing and yawning. When there is a strain in this jaw, mainly because of a bite problem, you will experience localized pain, and clicking or grating sounds when you open and close your mouth. TMJ disorders also limit your jaw function and cause headaches.
Dentists recommend braces as the primary treatment for TMJ disorders. Braces help by correcting teeth misalignment and bite problems that could be affecting your jaw movement and causing muscle tension. When you align your bite with braces, you evenly distribute chewing forces across your teeth, allowing your jaw muscles to function correctly. The reduced pressure on the temporomandibular joint eventually resolves the underlying issue.
However, you need a proper diagnosis before the dentist recommends braces for the underlying issue. If you visit a dentist because you experience headaches and jaw joint pain, they will first determine the reason for your pain. If, indeed, your misaligned teeth are causing a strain on your TMJ, your dentist will recommend orthodontic treatment as the ultimate solution for the disorder. Braces offer more benefits than your dentist will discuss beforehand, including improvements in your oral and overall health. Properly aligned teeth are easier to keep clean, which contributes significantly to your overall health.
If You Experience Difficulties Biting and Chewing
Healthy and strong teeth should make chewing and biting easy. This is critical in ensuring good nutrition, which is essential for your oral and general health. Sadly, you may experience difficulties when biting or chewing with misaligned teeth. You may bruise your tongue and other soft tissues in your mouth, which could result in sores and, sometimes, an oral infection if these sores are not adequately cared for. You could also experience uneven tooth wear as you struggle to bite or chew. Some people develop digestive issues from swallowing food that is not properly chewed. Other people avoid eating altogether because of the difficulties they experience when doing it.
If you struggle when eating because of your imperfect teeth, you could benefit from braces. Braces can align your lower and upper arches, ensuring that your teeth meet evenly and that forces are distributed correctly, allowing your mouth to function properly when chewing. This way, you do not struggle to properly chew your food before swallowing. Efficient chewing ensures proper breakdown of food, leading to improved digestion. This also reduces your risk of indigestion.
Remember that braces also correct bite problems, including underbites, crossbites, and overbites. This makes chewing and biting easy and comfortable for you. You can also improve your jaw alignment with braces. Once your jaw shifts to a better position and your TMJ stabilizes, you will be more comfortable performing some of the functions you could not perform, including chewing, biting, yawning, and laughing.
If You Have Speech Problems
Your teeth contribute significantly to your speech. How your teeth appear may impact your speech and confidence. Your teeth alignment may also affect how you pronounce some words. If you have always had pronunciation issues, it could be due to misaligned teeth. You can talk to your dentist for a detailed examination and treatment recommendation. If your speech is affected by your teeth’s misalignment, crowding, or excessive spacing, braces can fix the speech problem. You will notice an improvement in your speech once you start treatment, as your teeth shift into their proper positions.
Speech problems also affect your confidence and social life. People with speech issues will shy away from public engagements, no matter how good they are. If your teeth alignment issues are getting in the way of your social or professional life, you can fix the underlying problem with braces. You can opt for clear plastic aligners, which are comfortable, removable, and discreet. Dentists recommend clear aligners to adults who want to enjoy discretion and can follow the treatment plan.
However, you should wear the aligners for at least 22 hours every day for your treatment to be effective. You must also regularly visit your dentist’s office for adjustments to ensure that your treatment is progressing as it should.
Find Experienced Orthodontic Services Near Me
If your teeth are overcrowded, overly spaced, or misaligned, you can benefit significantly from braces. Braces can also help if you have an underbite, crossbite, open bite, or overbite. However, you need to work closely with an experienced dentist for the right diagnosis and treatment plan. If you can benefit from braces, the dentist will ensure you understand how they work, your treatment options, costs, and what to expect after treatment.
At The Hawthorne Dentist, we recommend braces after thoroughly examining your teeth, gums, and jawbone. We develop a treatment plan that suits your needs, budget, and preferences. We will provide the information needed to understand how braces work, the different types of braces available in Hawthorne, and the expected results. Contact us at 310-775-2557 to discuss this at length.
