Straight Teeth = Healthy Teeth

A large number of people that walk into an orthodontics office go there to fix their teeth for purely cosmetic purposes. Some of those people end up turning around after hearing the price for fixing a couple of crooked teeth. But, did you know that having straight teeth can have a direct positive impact not only on your mouth but also on your mind and body?

Oral health
With straighter teeth, the health of your mouth can have a significant improvement. To start, it’s a lot easier to clean straight teeth. You’re able to really get into every nook and cranny. Not to mention, flossing is a breeze. With overlapping teeth you always run the risk of having food getting stuck which can lead to plaque build up and eventual tooth decay.

A human bite can generate around 70 pounds of force per square inch. With a bite force that strong and having crooked or protruding teeth, can lead to a lot more wear and tear on your gums, teeth and jaw. This excessive stress can lead to tooth fractures, gum notching and even increase your risk of periodontal (gum) disease.

Headaches and Neck Pain
The excessive stress placed on your mouth when you have crooked teeth can be a contributing factor to headaches and neck pain especially if this is a persistent issue. This extra stress and uneven pressure from crooked teeth has a high likelihood of causing jaw misalignment. A misaligned jaw is what will lead to chronic neck pain and headaches.

Digestion
If you’ve struggled with poor digestion, sometimes you need to look no further than your teeth. The food you eat begins digesting as soon as you put it in your mouth. The saliva in your mouth contains an enzyme called amylase that helps digest the starches in your food. This enzyme is responsible for breaking down complex carbs into sugars which are much more easily absorbed. Your saliva also contains an enzyme called lingual lipase, which breaks down fats.

Teeth play a major role in breaking down foods as well, so that your stomach can properly digest the food you eat. With misaligned or crooked teeth, chewing foods properly becomes tougher which can slow down the digestion process. With improperly chewed foods, you also lose some of the nutrients from the foods as they aren’t going to be fully digested. Even a person that eats super healthy can suffer from poor digestion and an unhealthy gut.

Speech Improvement
People suffering from a speech issue will oftentimes go see a speech pathologist that costs between $100-$250 per session. While this may be an effective means of resolving the issue, the root cause may also be simpler than that. Having misaligned and crooked teeth as well as an overbite can affect speech by creating a lisp, “whistling” when speaking, word slurring and general word mispronunciations.

Besides all the issues listed above that straight teeth can fix, it will also increase your self confidence a boat load! A recent study developed by Kelton Research stated that 29% of Americans say that a person’s teeth is the first facial feature that they notice when meeting someone. If you have any comments, questions or concerns about proceeding with an orthodontics treatment give Yang Orthodontics a call at 215-757-0864 or schedule a FREE consultation here.