7 Surprising Health Benefits of Straight Teeth
When teeth are too widely spaced out or too crowded together, they can become inflamed and red. This is often a sign or cause of periodontal disease. Straighter teeth are also easier to clean and maintain, while crooked teeth make it more difficult to get brush bristles and floss into the crevices.
Typically, people who don’t like the way their teeth look don’t smile as much. Our faces are meant to be full of expression, but without showing our teeth, we are holding back from all of the most happy emotions. A smile is a sign of confidence, so your potential for personal success and mental health are improved with the ability to flash a better, straighter smile.
Teeth play a more important role in speech than you may realize. Teeth with an irregular configuration or a central gap will often cause a noticeable difference in your pronunciation. By straightening your teeth, you can begin to speak more clearly.
When your teeth are protruding or crooked, they have a better chance of getting chipped or knocked out. Irregular teeth also bite your cheeks or tongue more often, causing painful sores. Teeth in their proper places stay where they belong and injuries occur far less often.
Straight teeth are better for chewing, which is the first step in the food digestion process. Food that is more thoroughly chewed helps speed the process along, while poorly chewed food requires more digesting to be done in the stomach and intestines, so you get less nutrition out of the food and may experience indigestion more frequently.
Crooked teeth may put excessive stress on gums, jaw bone, and joints, contributing to jaw misalignment. This can lead to chronic headaches and face or neck pain. Straight teeth, however, help keep the body in alignment and lessen stress and pain.
When your teeth are straight, you will have reduced bacteria in your mouth, making you less prone to infection. Oral infections may lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and pneumonia, the longer they are left unattended.
The act of smiling itself can make you happy, as studies have shown time and again. And happiness is often correlated with healthiness.
If you’ve always wanted straight, healthy teeth, now’s the time to find out more about Invisalign®. This transition could be to more than just a better looking smile, you could soon experience the many health benefits of straight teeth.