Guide to Orthodontics for Adults – When talking to someone, the first thing you notice about them is their smile. A beautiful, engaging smile makes you want to listen to what a person is saying and helps you connect with them better.
Having straight, symmetrical pearly-white teeth also boosts your confidence and helps you appear more self-assured. Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with abnormalities of the teeth and jaw, making them easier to care for and less vulnerable to painful conditions.
You might have heard that orthodontic treatment is reserved for children only. Luckily for you, it’s not true anymore because many orthodontists, including the team at Putney, offer orthodontics at any age so you can wear that smile with pride.
What adult orthodontics mean
The reason why orthodontics were previously considered to be applicable only to children under 18 years of age was because conditions like misaligned teeth and over- or underbite were easy to correct when the facial bones were going.
However, many people were unable to receive treatment during their teenage years, which led to significant health (both physical and mental) problems throughout their lives. Adult orthodontics were thus developed — to help people avoid a lifetime of potential problems.
And although adult orthodontics deals with all orthodontic conditions, the bulk of the work revolves around braces (regular as well as invisible ones) and surgical or non-surgical correction of under- and overbite.
So what are some ways orthodontics can help you? Let’s find out.
Why orthodontic treatment might be the best investment you can make for yourself
A beautiful smile is not the only benefit of orthodontic treatment. The human body is intricately interconnected, so improving the health of one part has profound effects on other aspects of your health. Here are some benefits of adult orthodontic treatment.
1. Improved oral hygiene
Oral hygiene is as crucial as your bodily cleanliness. Clean teeth and odorless breath play a major role in leaving a good impression on the people you interact with.
And what you might not be aware of is that one consequence of misaligned teeth is bad breath.
Misaligned teeth cause food particles to get stuck in crevices that are hard to reach with a toothbrush. These particles are fermented by bacteria overnight and lead to bad breath. Orthodontic treatment can rid you of misaligned teeth, which means no more trapped food particles and no more bad breath.
2. Better overall health
Now that you know that the human body is highly interconnected, it’s easy to understand that many seemingly unrelated conditions can be cured (or at least alleviated) with the help of orthodontics.
These include migraines, poor digestive function, and sleep apnea. Not only that, but orthodontic treatment can also often cure oral conditions like pain with chewing and jaw popping when you open up your mouth
One major problem people with misaligned teeth or jaw suffer is chewing difficulty. Poorly chewed food is a major cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease or heartburn, which is one uncomfortable condition to deal with.
People with heartburn have a considerably reduced quality of life and are at an increased risk of long-term complications like adult-onset asthma and esophageal cancer.
All this can be prevented by orthodontic treatment because properly aligned teeth allow you to chew your food properly, removing a major risk factor for heartburn!
3. You don’t lose your teeth!
Those trapped food particles are at play here too. Because they lead to a rapid increase in bacterial growth, which causes numerous dental issues such as bleeding gums, cavities, gingivitis, increased sensitivity, and weakened teeth.
All of these, along with increased wear and tear of teeth due to improper alignment and structural complications, can lead to loss of teeth very early in life.
As a result of this, one either has to spend more money to restore the fallen teeth or live with ineffective chewing and all that comes with it.
4. Improved employment opportunities
Symmetrical teeth make for an appealing smile that can open many social and professional doors for you.
Most brands and companies choose faces that have a beautiful, proportionate smile to represent them. This is because people with nice smiles seem more trustworthy and reliable, and are more likely to attract customers (because, well, psychology!).
So orthodontics not only makes you prettier, but it can also help you make a living!
5. Better mental health
Many people who did not have access to dental care during their childhoods can struggle with self-esteem issues. This is because smiling, laughing, or even opening their mouth to talk was always a challenge.
But with the advent of orthodontics for adults, you no longer have to deal with the constant bullying and judgemental looks you’ve been experiencing all this time.
All it takes is some awareness of what orthodontics is, what it can do for you, and who you need to approach to rid yourself of the mental burden of a lifetime.
Also Read: How To Cope With Bruxism ?
