Cosmetic dentistry is a fast-growing industry with lots to offer. Men, women, and teens nationwide pour into their local dentists’ offices with hopes of banishing stubborn stains, filling in gaps, and repairing embarrassing flaws.
At Lifetime Dental Care in Woodbridge, Virginia, teeth straightening treatments like Invisalign® are among the most popular procedures we offer. Everyone knows that a straight smile is a beautiful smile — but we know it goes much further than that.
Here, we explain how straight teeth fight against cavities, giving you one more reason to invest in treatment.
You may believe that your crooked teeth are a sign that you’ve done something wrong somewhere along the way. While it’s true that poor oral hygiene can lead to alignment issues, there’s usually more to the story.
Your teeth may have started stepping out of line way back when you were a baby. Thumb sucking, prolonged pacifier use, tongue thrusting, and mouth breathing are all risk factors for alignment issues.
Some causes of crooked teeth are simply the luck of the draw and have much to do with your genetics. Your jaw size may not be able to handle all of your adult teeth, or you may have been born with malocclusion, an alignment issue that can result in an overbite or underbite.
A facial injury can also cause your teeth to push their way out of place.
Whatever’s behind your wayward fangs, it’s essential to know the link between crooked teeth and oral — not just cosmetic — health issues.
Crowded, rotated/angled, and out-of-alignment teeth not only blemish your aesthetic, but they also create tons of hiding places for bacteria, plaque buildup, and other harmful substances.
Those additional crevices and hard-to-reach corners are tricky to keep clean, and they allow decay-causing gunk to accumulate. The result is a steady erosion of your enamel and other dental structures, followed closely by cavities, tooth decay, and even bad breath.
An increased risk of cavities also leads to an increased risk of gum disease, which can affect more than just your teeth and gums.
Fixing your alignment issues doesn't stop at cavity and gum disease prevention. A slew of issues stem from misaligned teeth. Here’s a closer look.
When your teeth are crooked, some teeth do an uneven share of the work, which leads to uneven wear and increases your chances of sustaining tooth damage such as chips, cracks, breaks, and even full-blown tooth loss.
Tooth misalignment can lead to jaw misalignment and, as a result, cause you to experience Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and teeth grinding or clenching.
Underbites, overbites, and teeth that jut out are more likely to become injured because they’re less stable. Straightening your teeth makes them less susceptible to injury.
You have tons of options for misaligned teeth. We start by clearing up any existing oral health issues like cavities, abscesses, and plaque buildup, then we conduct a thorough evaluation of your bite and teeth alignment.
For minor alignment issues, we can turn to cosmetic dentistry services, like veneers, to reshape your smile. More advanced alignment issues may benefit from a more comprehensive program such as Invisalign.
Don’t spend another day with your oral health hanging in the balance. We offer affordable, effective, and efficient paths to straighter, healthier teeth. When you’re ready to schedule an appointment, call our office at 703-499-9779 or use our online booking tool.