Braces benefit not just your appearance, but also your overall health. They can fix the alignment of both lower and upper teeth, while also eliminating spaces between the teeth. Braces are made with ceramic or metal brackets that are fixed to the teeth. Tiny rubbers and wires are used to tie them together, creating a slight pressure to move the teeth to the right location gradually.
With the teeth properly aligned, you are left with straight teeth and a beautiful smile.
Benefits of Braces
There are multiple benefits to wearing braces. Straighter teeth create an improved appearance and enhance your smile. Here are some of the many benefits braces offer:
Improvement of Oral Health
Braces correct the misaligned teeth and contribute to healthier teeth and gums. Straighter teeth are also easier to floss, brush, and clean, which enhances your oral health. It also prevents future cavities and periodontal diseases.
Better Digestion
Misaligned teeth make it difficult for you to chew food and bite them down to tiny bits, which is why your stomach takes longer to digest it. With straightened teeth, you can chew your food thoroughly and fully digest the food.
Prevents Jawbone Erosion
Misaligned teeth can cause bone loss and jawbone erosion when bacteria start feeding on the bones. Braces align the teeth and prevent this from happening.
Increased Confidence
While braces offer various advantages for your health, they also help in boosting your confidence. Crooked or misaligned teeth or space between your teeth often lead to anxiety and low self-esteem. People tend to avoid smiling properly. Braces help you in achieving straighter teeth, making it easy for you to smile.
Better Speech
Misaligned teeth or malocclusion might cause whistling sounds on certain words or chronic speech issues. Braces mix this problem by aligning the teeth and improving your speech.
Wearing Braces: Does it Hurt?
It merely takes about one or two hours at the dentist to get braces. Your surgeon will determine which type of braces you need for your specific problem. After the braces are fixed, you might experience slight soreness, pain, and discomfort in your gums and teeth. However, this only lasts for a week. Once the braces get adjusted to your mouth correctly, the discomfort and pain stop.
Most individuals get used to wearing the braces within a month. There might be a slight soreness from time to time. Generally, pain linked to wearing braces is managed by taking pain relievers.
Your dentist will ask you to avoid eating chewy foods for a week and recommend soft foods, like ice cream, soup, and yogurt. You can opt for beverages that contain calcium, but with low additives, sugar substitutes, or sugar.
Do You Need Braces?
If you are wondering whether or not you need braces, then it is best to consult an experienced dentist. They will examine your teeth and will recommend the right treatment option. Generally, you need braces if:
- Your baby teeth were lost too early, and your adult teeth didn’t grow for a while, then it might have affected the development of the adult teeth.
- You have crowded or crooked teeth
- Your jaw shifts or makes sounds, which is an indication of developmental issues with your teeth or jaw, or even both
- You bite your cheeks frequently or hit the roof of your mouth, indicating misaligned teeth
- You have to breathe through your mouth, which shows there is an issue with jaw or teeth development
- You have problems chewing food due to misaligned or crooked teeth
Braces help in fixing various oral health issues and might save you money and pain in the future. Depending on the severity of your problem, you might have to wear braces for several years. However, once the problem is fixed, you can enjoy your perfectly aligned teeth, improved oral health, and a stunning smile for a lifetime!