Teeth Straightening Devices: Causes and Effects
Teeth straightening devices are extremely useful dental tools that correct misaligned, crooked or gap-filled teeth. Braces or invisalign treatments are relatively simple in terms of their affixation, yet can cause great changes to the shape of teeth and the smile over time. Dental alignment is fundamentally important to the shape of the smile and has a big impact on a person’s appearance and self-confidence. Sometimes teeth become crooked over time and require adjustment. The two aforementioned dental devices are exceptionally effective at re-aligning teeth.
Causes of Teeth Misalignment
There are four main causes of crooked or misaligned teeth: genetic or hereditary factors, dental habits and other oral health practices, childhood habits or trauma to the teeth or jaw bone. Any one of these can become prevalent enough to warrant application of teeth straightening devices designed to determine a better position of a person’s teeth. If the conditions listed above are chronic in nature, other teeth problems can manifest.
The Effects of Teeth Misalignment
Teeth, when they are misaligned, can become a root cause of other oral health problems which require increasingly-invasive treatment. For example, misaligned teeth are more difficult to clean and can more-easily trap food particles than perfectly straight teeth. This can cause gum disease, halitosis and tooth decay. Misaligned teeth can also cause or be a result of an overbite, underbite, cross-bite or temporomandibular joint disorders. It follows that straight teeth are associated with better jaw alignment. Furthermore, straight teeth, in contrast to crooked teeth, are incredibly easy to clean and therefore reduce the risk of a person developing the aforementioned oral health conditions.
Application of Teeth Straightening Devices
Teeth straightening devices can be affixed to teeth easily by a licensed, professional dentist. First, brackets are applied to molars to support the braces with a wire they carry. Next, braces are glued (using special dental glue) to the surface or behind of individual teeth. The wire carried by the brackets is threaded through the braces and tightened gradually over time to produce stress on the teeth that then move them into better position.
The Effects of Teeth Straightening Devices
Aside from correcting a crooked smile, dental straightening devices can have an impact on a person’s speech ability, their ability to eat certain foods and their self-confidence. While most of these effects are not particularly pronounced, i.e. difficulty pronouncing certain sounds is not excessive and only few foods need to be avoided, the aesthetic effect of dental straightening devices is significant and gives cause for reasoning about the type of alignment device chosen. In this lattermost regard, dental braces tend to stand out more than invisalign retainers. If a person is self-conscious, they can elect the latter of these two options to reduce the impact of the treatment on their aesthetic appeal.
Nearly all cases of dental straightening device treatments produce successful outcomes. They are relatively non-invasive and thereby painless. It’s worth noting that both braces and invisalign treatments can be expensive. However, most dentists offer payment plans. Please enquire at CB Dental Center if you are suffering crooked teeth: to book an appointment with one of our friendly local dentists.
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Looking to enjoy a more-comfortable smile full of healthy teeth? Book a consultation for any dental treatment you need at Central Brunswick Dental Centre today.