From a young age, we are always taught the value of a smile. Smiling can instantly brighten your day, and it has been found to improve one’s mood and mental health.
Unfortunately, however, many children and adults do not feel confident or happy with their smiles. More often than not, they believe that their smiles are ugly and unworthy of being seen. One of the main reasons for this is misaligned or crooked teeth.
Fortunately, there is a way to fix this problem. The field of orthodontics focuses on the use of devices to straighten crooked teeth and align the jaw properly. This is primarily done through the wearing of braces. Though braces can be applied at any age, they are typically worn during adolescence as it is much easier at this age to mold the jawbones. Wearing braces has numerous long-term benefits. Here are some of them:
Improve aesthetics and confidence
It is no surprise that those with crooked teeth do not feel confident about smiling. This can result in low self-esteem and anxiety, especially among children and teenagers. Furthermore, this can affect one’s job prospects in adulthood, particularly in industries where beauty is highly valued.
Braces allow this to be remedied quickly. In an instant, people can feel relaxed and at ease when posing for photographs or even while carrying on a conversation. This can go a long way in boosting a person’s confidence and happiness.
Improve oral health
Misaligned teeth can lead to a host of problems related to oral health and hygiene. For one thing, straight and aligned teeth are easier to brush and clean, decreasing the risk of tooth disease or decay.
Having one’s teeth straightened also makes digestion much easier. Misaligned teeth can make it difficult to chew food thoroughly. This ensures that food can be adequately digested.
Lastly, because of the difficulties that come with chewing and cleaning the teeth, misaligned teeth can lead to the erosion of the jaw bone. This comes about as bacteria begin eating away at the bones, which can lead to the loss of teeth as well. Braces help prevent this by properly aligning the teeth and removing spaces.
Improve your speech
If teeth are misaligned, there is a great chance that your teeth are also in places that they are not supposed to be. This can result in overcrowding in certain areas. It can also interfere with the movement of your tongue as you speak. This, in turn, can lead to the development of chronic speech problems.
Having speech problems does not only create a blow to one’s confidence, especially during oral presentations and social interactions. It can also affect one’s professional image. Hence, it is best to have braces correct this problem and get rid of any speech issue.
Though braces can be painful and a hassle to deal with at times, sticking with them can pay off in the long run. The benefits alone will make the cost and the years spent wearing them more than worth it.
