Crooked teeth are hard to clean
Crooked teeth can make dental hygiene harder by creating additional nooks and crannies throughout the mouth where food and bacteria can get trapped. When these areas go long periods without cleaning, they may become pockets of decay.
Costly treatment, such as fillings, root canals and dental bridges, can become necessary if decay and gum disease develop. Left untreated, gum disease lead to tooth loss and medical health issues.
Crooked teeth can cause TMJ
TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder, is a painful affliction of the jaw joint linked that can be linked to crooked teeth. When a person bites down with crooked teeth, the jaws may move side to side or back and forth as the teeth meet because the teeth do not fit together properly. This puts extra stress on the temporomandibular joint, causing inflammation and wear over time.
Crooked teeth may also worsen temporomandibular joint damage caused by stress-related teeth clenching or grinding.
Crooked teeth can contribute to digestive problems
Crooked teeth can’t break down food as well as straight teeth can. This means that the body is denied the full benefit of chewing, the first stage of digestion. Poor chewing can cause or contribute to bloating and other digestive discomfort.
When food is less broken down, the body is also less able to extract nutrients from it. Resulting nutrient deficiencies can place teeth at higher risk of decay and gum disease and can worsen overall health.
The serous problems associated with crooked teeth make it clear that this is more than a cosmetic issue. To reduce their risks of these problems, many people seek orthodontic treatment. Because more orthodontic options are available today, more adults as well as children and adolescents are having their teeth corrected for aesthetic and health reasons.
Learn more
If you would like to learn more about how cosmetic dentistry can improve ?your health, download my free-ebook, “Cosmetic Dentistry is for Everyone”.