Everyone appreciates the aesthetic benefits that orthodontic treatment can provide. Working to straighten your teeth can be a huge benefit in terms of self-confidence. There are many other great reasons to undergo orthodontic treatment, however. There are some very real and proven health benefits of having straight teeth. Here’s a closer look at what those benefits are.

Easier Teeth Cleaning

All the methods that you use to clean your teeth are more effective once you’ve gone through orthodontic treatment. When the teeth are misaligned, it’s easy to miss places when you are trying to brush, floss, or rinse with mouthwash. Gaps between the teeth tend to be much smaller or at odd angles. Once your teeth are straightened by working with an orthodontist in Melbourne, these issues go away, and it becomes much easier to keep the teeth clean and healthy.

Improved Digestion

When your teeth are perfectly aligned, you actually become better at effectively chewing your food. Chewing your food is the first step in the digestive process. If you chew your food correctly, it’s broken down into smaller pieces for easier digestion. If your teeth are misaligned, and it is harder to chew your food, it means your stomach and intestines will have to do more work to digest foods. In addition to receiving less nutrition from your meals, this can also lead to digestive health problems like stomach cramps, heartburn or acid reflux.

Improves Jaw Problems

Misaligned teeth can result in problems with the hinge of your jaw where it meets the skull. It causes extra strain when you try to chew your food. The muscles and tendons that are attached to the jaw can end up being strained or fatigued. This in turn can lead to headaches, dizziness, or tinnitus. Straightening your teeth can help improve a misalignment of the jaw, thus reducing these problems.

Longer-Lasting Teeth

Your teeth go through a lot of wear and tear over the years, especially if they are misaligned. The impact from your jaws and the grinding of your teeth will cause them to wear down faster when they are misaligned. These stresses on your teeth happen unevenly when they are out of alignment, which can lead to chipping, discoloration, tooth decay and other problems. You might even experience cracked teeth more often. Straight teeth can still wear down over time, as all teeth do. However, it will be a much slower process with straight teeth, since the surfaces are rubbing against each other properly.

Better Speech

The teeth play a very important role in speech, especially in children. Misaligned teeth can result in mispronouncing certain syllables. Teeth that are too crowded or that have large gaps can prevent the tongue or lips from acting properly when forming sounds. A speech impediment can lead to problems in the classroom for children, or in the workplace for adults. Getting the teeth straightened can help with these problems, although there are also additional causes.

Improved Overall Health

Research published in the journal GMS Hygiene and Infectious Control has shown that elderly people with straight teeth are much less likely to contract pneumonia. It’s also well-established that bacteria in the gums can reach the bloodstream, eventually causing cardiovascular problems like heart disease, arterial damage, and an increased risk of stroke. This all points back to the improper oral hygiene that can result from misaligned teeth. If the problem is not corrected, it can cause you a host of health problems down the road. This also includes loss of teeth and facial pain.

Prevents Bad Breath

The imperfect oral hygiene that results from misaligned teeth can leave bacteria building up in hard-to-reach places. That bacteria is likely to result in gum disease, sooner or later. Once gum disease sets in, it is often followed by bad breath. Perfectly straight teeth reduce the risk of developing gum disease in the first place, which in turn eliminates the risk of bad breath.If you need an orthodontist in Melbourne, we look forward to meeting with you. Having a perfect and straight smile is just one of the benefits that you gain from orthodontic treatment. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, Contact Us today so that we can get to work on improving your smile and your overall health!