How is your smile looking these days? Are you seeing pearly whites, straight and clean, when you look in the mirror? Or is your grin leaving something to be desired?
Your smile is the one of the first things others notice about you. It communicates openness, intention, and even your state of health as you prominently display your mouth, teeth, and gums as a form of connection and communication. If you have missing or crooked teeth, however, having to smile can be an enormous source of stress.
How an orthodontist can help you fix your smile
Orthodontics is a specialized branch of dentistry that treats misaligned teeth. Treatment of misaligned teeth not only improves cosmetic appearance, but it improves the mechanics of your bite as well, which can aid in helping you to speak, chew, and even swallow properly.
An orthodontist performs work to:
- Close gaps between teeth
- Aligning and straightening teeth
- Improving quality of speech
- Improving chewing and swallowing mechanisms
- Helping to improve long term health of gums and teeth
- Preventing excessive damage due to misalignment or improper bite
Quite often, these issues can be treated in a number of months, with periodic assessments of the condition of your mouth to ensure that treatment has resulted in realignment and proper function. If you suspect you may need orthodontic treatment to restore the health and beauty of your smile, look for the telltale signs that it may be time to schedule an appointment not only with your dentist, but an orthodontist as well:
1. You have lost confidence in your smile
If you are hesitant to meet others, to reveal your smile, or even to engage in conversation, you could be in need of some orthodontic interventions. If you are used to covering your mouth when you laugh, or you remain tight lipped when photo ops come around, it may be time to see someone for a professional assessment of your smile.
2. You have breathing problems and sleep apnea
If air isn’t flowing smoothly through your airways, it can manifest as an inability to breathe properly and the development of sleep apnea, a dangerous condition that causes you to temporarily stop breathing at night. If you wake up coughing or choking, you wake up with a sore throat, or you’ve been told you snore often, you likely have some sort of obstruction in your palette. A trained orthodontist can take a look at the structure of your mouth and teeth and make recommendations for treatment that can allow you to breathe normally again.
3. Your mouth, teeth, and gums are sore too often
Pain in the mouth can arise due to misalignment, structural deficiencies with your bite, and teeth that are rubbing against gums in an uncomfortable way. Chewing, swallowing, and even speaking become difficult when your teeth are not aligned properly; put these issues to rest and see an orthodontist for permanent treatment of alignments that can lead to pain and discomfort.
4. It’s difficult to eat your favorite foods
The way your jaws fit together to chew efficiently can have a big impact on the types of foods you are able to eat. Life is too short not to be able to have some of your favorites, whether they be sticky, crunchy, or a combination of both! Get your jaw and mouth checked for signs of misalignment and deficiency to ensure that you can enjoy your favorite foods, whenever you crave them.
5. You suffer from headaches or jaw pain
Headaches, neck pain, and jaw pain are sure signs that there are misalignment problems with your bite and your jaw. Getting these imbalances treated properly will ensure that you are able to alleviate pain and get some much needed relief once more.
You can have a beautiful smile again!
You don’t have to struggle with pain, discomfort, and crooked teeth any longer; seeing an orthodontist and crafting a care plan will help to restore your mouth and your smile to its former brilliance. Say cheese!