The appearance of crooked teeth can be the most obvious impact they have on your smile. However, it isn’t the only impact, and when you hesitate to address the problem, the state of your misaligned teeth can become a source of several other oral health complications. In addition to how your smile looks, these complications can also include long-term impacts on the status of your oral health and your bite’s ability to function properly. Today, we take a look at how crooked teeth can affect your life, and how straightening them could help you avoid a wide range of subsequent concerns.
The effort to keep your teeth clean
Keeping your teeth clean is the cornerstone of keeping them healthy, no matter what other issues they face. However, when your teeth aren’t aligned properly, keeping them clean every day can be more challenging than it’s supposed to be. When you brush your teeth twice and floss at least once every day, the goal is to thoroughly remove the buildup of dental plaque that has accumulate on them throughout the night or day. If your teeth overlap, don’t line up correct, or are positioned at angles that hide parts of their surface, then it can be difficult or impossible to successfully remove all traces of plaque from them.
How your teeth meet each other
The effectiveness of your daily dental hygiene routine is highly important. It’s the key to controlling the buildup of plaque and the harmful bacteria that contribute to it, which can lead to conditions like tooth decay, gum disease, chronic bad breath, and more. However, the function of your teeth and bite can also be severely impacted when your teeth are crooked. For your bite to function properly and your teeth to withstand its pressure, they must be aligned to meet each other evenly and at the same time when you bite and chew. Crooked teeth are unable to do so, and the strain of accommodating the misalignment can lead to a host of troubles, including damage to your jaw joints (which can lead to TMJ disorder).
The problems they could face
The complications that can arise from the state of your crooked teeth can vary depending on several different factors, including how severely out of alignment your teeth are. However, because they’re crooked, any form of tooth misalignment can lead to additional problems for the long-term health and integrity of your teeth. This includes the extensive wear and damage that occur when your teeth don’t meet each other evenly and are exposed to excessive bite pressure. It can also include heightened risks of tooth decay due to the compromised nature of a tooth’s position and the weakening of its protective enamel.
Learn how to correct your crooked teeth
Crooked teeth aren’t just a cosmetic concern; if left unaddressed, they can have a significant impact on several aspects of your daily life. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI, today at 248-693-6213.
