collaborative post // Teeth straightening is often overlooked as a dental procedure. Many people relate teeth straightening to teenagers because of braces, and they’d be right for the most part. However, there’s a growing number of adults that are also wearing or thinking about using braces. In fact, around 20% of the people with braces today are actually adults.
Photo by JC Gellidon on Unsplash
But braces have a rather negative stigma among adults. They might believe that they look a bit strange, or they might even think that braces aren’t effective when you’re older. However, the reality is that everyone can benefit from braces, but it’s important to understand what the best conditions are and the best options for you. A quick Google search, such as Invisalign in Essex, will help you find dental practices that can help with the problem. So without further ado, here are a couple of signs that you might want to consider braces.
Are your teeth visibility crooked?
One of the most common signs that you’ll want to consider braces is if your teeth are visibly crooked. When your teeth are misaligned, it usually doesn’t cause too much of a problem as long as you’re able to eat properly and you don’t feel much pain. However, there are a couple of issues that you might face.
For example, some people just don’t like the look of their crooked teeth. They think that teeth should be straight and it helps to improve their appearance, hence why they want teeth straightening. Others might eventually develop bite-related issues, such as their teeth not aligning when they close their mouth to eat something.
You might also frequently bite into your tongue due to misaligned teeth. If you’re experiencing one of these issues, then you may want to consider speaking to your dentist about straightening your teeth.
You find it difficult to clean your teeth properly
If you find that it’s hard to floss during your night time routine or that it’s hard to brush around certain teeth in the morning, then you may want to consider straightening your teeth. This can align your individual teeth much better, making it easier for you to floss between them and also brush around your teeth.
This can be a huge issue regardless of how many teeth you have, and it’ll help you prevent certain teeth-related issues in the future. For example, if you’re missing a tooth and it’s starting to cause other teeth to move around, then you could prevent this by straightening your teeth and potentially using retainers or braces to prevent further movement.
Certain words are hard to pronounce
We use our entire mouth to create certain sounds, and this process can be interrupted due to misaligned teeth. While this is somewhat rare, the position of your tongue under your teeth can make it difficult for you to pronounce certain sounds.
For example, you might have difficulty pronouncing the S and Z sounds because of your tongue poking out between your teeth when you try to say words like “yes”.
So if you’re thinking about straightening your teeth, know that it’s perfectly fine to do it for cosmetic reasons, but it should also be considered a medical procedure that improves your quality of life if you’re facing a problem with your teeth.
