5 Important Benefits of Straighter Teeth

We all know that straight, properly aligned teeth create beautiful smiles. But also, straighter teeth provide important benefits that impact your oral and overall health.

In this blog, our own Ginger Rome, DDS, at The Dentists at North Cypress in Houston, Texas, shares her thoughts on five notable benefits of straighter teeth.

Straight teeth and bite alignment explained

Talking about having straight teeth includes having proper alignment and an optimal bite in the conversation. But what does that mean? With straight teeth, your jaw properly aligns, and when you close your mouth, your lower and upper teeth line up perfectly.

 While straight, properly aligned teeth have a definite benefit to the aesthetics of your smile,  several additional benefits relate to the healthy movement of your mouth and jaw and how it can affect your quality of life and health.Enables you to chew and speak properly

1.Enables you to chew and speak properly

Straight teeth play a pivotal role in biting and chewing food properly. Without this essential function, proper digestion can’t take place. 

 Similarly, straight teeth enable you to speak clearly. Speech transpires properly when your teeth, tongue, lips, and the roof of your mouth coordinate movement to form words. Crooked teeth have an increased risk for speech issues, and specific wording may be accompanied by lisping or whistling sounds.

2.Easier and more effective to clean your teeth 

Another benefit of straight teeth is that it makes your at-home oral care more effective and easier to clean by minimizing awkward nooks and crannies where food can get trapped. When your teeth are crooked, brushing and flossing can be challenging to reach and thoroughly clean your teeth.

3. Reduces the risk of tooth decay and gum disease

Once your oral care routine is compromised, your oral health becomes vulnerable, increasing the likelihood of decay and getting cavities. It doesn’t stop there. Once plaque buildup advances past uncontrolled bacteria and tooth decay, conditions like gum disease can develop. Essentially, straight teeth greatly enhances your ability to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

4. Makes jaw and joint problems less likely

Crooked teeth and a misaligned jaw can create a perfect storm for jawbone instability and jaw joint problems, ultimately damaging the bones that support your teeth. This sequence of events may lead to temporomandibular joint disorder, sometimes called TMJ or TMD. Persistent headaches or migraines may accompany jaw pain resulting from TMJ.

5. Reduces risk of bruxism and sleep apnea

Crooked teeth, overbites, crowded teeth, and a misaligned jaw can contribute to worn down or damaged teeth, which may be telltale signs of teeth grinding or bruxism. An estimated 30 to 40 million Americans suffer from teeth grinding, and about a quarter of those people suffer from sleep apnea.

 The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, a series of sleep disruptions during a sleep cycle where you stop breathing. Untreated sleep apnea may have serious health complications, such as high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attacks.

 At the Dentists of North Cypress, our highly trained dental team can straighten your teeth using the clear aligner Invisalign® system. Whether you need to straighten crooked teeth or want to enhance your smile and improve your overall appearance with a smile makeover, the compassionate, highly experienced team at The Dentists at North Cypress can help you get the smile you’ve always dreamed about.

 Start your journey to your best smile by contacting The Dentists at North Cypress for a consultation today. Call or schedule an appointment online.