Patients of all ages, from teenagers to adults, have different reasons for seeking orthodontic treatment. Braces can not only dramatically improve personal appearance and self-esteem, but also improve the health of your teeth and gums.
Plus, now with options such as Invisalign and clear braces patients can customize the areas you want improved without the worry of bulky or distracting braces. Our orthodontic team understands the importance of feeling your best —both during and after treatment. In this blog, we're going to get more detailed in terms of the reasons why someone would get braces and will include the cosmetic, medical, and mental benefits.

The Top 4 Reasons People Get Braces

 

1) To Improve Cosmetic Appearance and Increase Self-Esteem

Confidence, self-esteem, attractiveness ... these are words that come to mind when some patients consider Invisalign or traditional braces. An aligned and handsome/beautiful smile can lead to better self-confidence and more smiles. A smile is one of the most important ways that you can engage with friends and strangers, and confident smile goes a long way in a job interview, first date, and any social situation.

 

2) Better Opportunity to Care For Teeth and Gums

Teeth that are misaligned and crowded are harder to brush and floss. Areas of the teeth that touch improperly can trap food particles and invite bacteria. If you can't care for your mouth properly, there is higher danger of building up plaque, decay, and doing damage to enamel, bone, and soft tissue

 

3) Prevention of Other Dental Problems

Our second example was the result of crowding, but what about overbite, underbite, crossbite, and openbite? Each can create problems, so let's go over each.

• With overbite, the front teeth overlap and protrude creating increased risk of trauma or fracture.
• Those with underbite have the opposite as their upper front teeth are behind the lower front teeth. This creates an imbalanced facial appearance and leads to difficulty in biting and chewing, and accelerated facial aging.
• A crossbite is an abnormal bite where the upper tooth is behind the lower tooth. This leads to excessive wear and increased possibility of fracture of both teeth.
• Patients with openbite have a smile in which the front teeth do not touch. This may cause speech problems such as lisps, and can create chewing difficulties.

 

4) To Treat Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, are a group of conditions that cause pain and affect the functionality of jaw movement in over 10 million Americans. The most common symptoms are pain in the chewing muscles and jaw joint. Some sufferers will also notice limited jaw movement; locking of the jaw; clicking, popping, and noises when opening and/or closing the mouth; and pain in the face and/or neck. In some cases an uneven bite may need to be corrected with orthodontics or surgery.

Getting you or your child's smile corrected earlier rather than later can lead to improvements in life including better ability to care for teeth, confidence, less possibility of dental trauma, and reduced pain as in the case of TMJ disorders. Click here to schedule your consultation today!