Dental braces are used to correct a wide range of smile and bite misalignments. They can address crooked teeth, overcrowding, and bite problems such as overbites, underbites, and crossbites.

Straighter teeth are easier to clean and can reduce your risk of developing gum disease or other oral health issues. They can also reduce speech impairments like lisps caused by disproportionate teeth or jaw alignment.

Improved Oral Hygiene

One of the primary reasons people choose to get braces is to correct misalignments, overcrowding, and bite issues that can cause oral health problems down the road. By addressing these concerns, braces can help improve oral hygiene practices, reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease, and minimize the need for costly dental treatments in the future.

Overlapping and crowded teeth create tight spaces that are hard to clean, increasing the risk for plaque accumulation and acid buildup that can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. By straightening the teeth and reducing these tight spaces, braces make brushing and flossing easier and more effective, lowering the risk for these problems.

Also, when your teeth are properly aligned, the force of chewing is distributed evenly across all of the teeth. This minimizes the risk of premature wear and tear on specific teeth, and it also helps prevent jaw joint problems like temporomandibular disorder (TMD). If you have trouble cleaning your teeth with braces, ask your dentist for a demonstration of how to properly use floss around wires and brackets to avoid damaging them.

Better Chewing

While many people get braces for aesthetic reasons, they also enhance chewing efficiency. This makes eating a wider variety of foods easier and healthier. Proper chewing breaks down foods more thoroughly, so your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard. In addition, properly broken down food helps you maintain a healthy weight by providing a feeling of fullness.

Crooked teeth and other common dental misalignments can cause a host of oral health issues. Over time, these problems can result in expensive and extensive dental procedures if left untreated. Braces help correct bite issues like overbites and underbites, ensuring that your teeth meet correctly when you chew. This prevents premature wear and tear on specific teeth, which can lead to a cracked tooth or a fractured jaw.

Chewing gum is usually a no-no with braces because it can get stuck in the wires and brackets. However, recent advances in orthodontic materials allow patients to safely chew sugar-free gum, which reduces the risk of damage to the braces.

Improved Speech

Many people with lisps or other speech impediments find that their condition improves after getting braces. This is because straight teeth and a properly aligned bite provide better clarity of pronunciation, and they also help prevent future problems with your teeth and gums such as cavities and tooth loss.

Crowded and overlapping teeth can create tight spaces or overlaps that are hard to reach with your toothbrush and floss, leading to areas of plaque buildup that can lead to cavities or other dental issues down the road. By correcting the alignment of your teeth, braces make it much easier to maintain proper oral hygiene practices, helping you keep your smile healthier for a longer period of time.

To help your mouth get accustomed to the placement of your braces, try reading out loud or engaging in regular conversation often. This will give your tongue a chance to adjust to the way that it has to move around the brackets and wires of your braces, reducing the duration of any speech disruption.

Better Appearance

Many adults choose to have braces because they offer an improved aesthetic for their smile. Straighter teeth are more attractive, and they may even boost your confidence. This can have a positive impact on various aspects of your life, such as personal relationships and professional opportunities.

The primary reason for getting braces is to improve oral health by addressing issues such as overcrowding, crooked teeth, and bite problems. Misaligned teeth are more difficult to clean, and food often gets stuck between them, leading to bacterial build-up, tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral problems. Braces shift the teeth into a more uniform position, making them easier to clean and eliminating the risk of these complications.

Traditional metal braces are the most common type of treatment, but there are also a number of more aesthetically pleasing options, including clear or ceramic brackets that blend in with the natural color of your teeth. Some orthodontic professionals also offer lingual braces that are placed behind your teeth so they are less visible.