Few of us are lucky enough to be born with perfect dental alignment. The simple truth of the matter is that most of us experience some level of tooth crowding, dental gaps, and crooked teeth. The good news is that there are treatments from our Saint Louis dentists that can help to improve your dental alignment. And the reasons for doing so go far beyond aesthetics.
While it’s certainly true that a straight and seamless smile is attractive, properly aligned teeth can also help you protect and maintain your oral health.
Consider, for example, how difficult it is to thoroughly clean between crowded teeth. When your smile is misaligned, there are a multitude of hard-to-reach spaces in which plaque and tartar can colonize. All of this increases your risk of suffering from dental cavities as well as gum disease. A straight smile is easier to floss, and more effectively cleaned by brushing and using mouth rinse.
There are also a number of structural maxillofacial issues related to dental misalignment. If your top and bottom teeth, for example, do not come together in a natural and comfortable way, you will likely shift your lower jaw in order to compensate. Unfortunately, this puts pressure on your temporomandibular joints (TMJ), and can actually create additional oral health issues. Patients with poorly aligned bite surfaces are at risk of developing head/jaw/face/neck pain, as well as temporomandibular joint damage. These patients may also find that certain teeth are wearing down prematurely, as they tend to favor one side of their smile over the other.
With proper treatment, you can improve our dental alignment and minimize your risk of suffering from related health issues. Our Saint Louis dentists are happy to give you any additional information that you may need—give us a call to schedule an appointment, or submit a question for our team through our Contact Us page!