What Orthodontic Treatment Really Does for Your Dental Health

If your dentist recommends orthodontic treatment, whether limited in nature or comprehensive, it could be for more than just straightening crooked teeth.

We see many patients who come to us with obvious dental concerns like a chipped tooth, a broken tooth, a tooth ache, a tooth that is shorter than the others, etc. For the patient, the concern is what they can see in the mirror or what they feel.

Bite and Alignment Concerns

As dentists, what we see oftentimes are problems resulting from a root cause – teeth, bite and/or jaw being out of alignment. Sometimes the misalignment is minimal but most times it’s not minimal. We know if the misalignment isn’t corrected, problems will persist and compound over time. Some examples of bite issues include an overbite, underbite, open bite, crowded bite. There are others.

It’s natural to assume our chompers will last a lifetime, but that assumption is challenged if the root cause isn’t addressed. An unhealthy bite –in some cases referred to as a traumatic bite, leads to needing future dental work. Yes, that is great for dental commerce, but is that great for you, the patient? Everything starts here!

Get to the Root Cause

We get it. You may not be expecting to hear underlying dental concerns than you cannot visually see. You may not be anticipating the additional expense of a problem you were unaware of. Yes, we can fix the broken tooth, the chipped tooth, address a tooth ache, etc. But, if the underlying problem is the result of needing orthodontic treatment, correcting one tooth is buying you time until the next problem.

By correcting the underlying problem – the bite and the alignment — you can reduce the risk of:

• Your teeth chipping because of misalignment.
• Future erosion or wearing your teeth down because you’re grinding your teeth due to bite issues.
• Gum irritation because crooked teeth cause food and bacteria traps.
• Narrow airway.
• Jaw soreness due to clenching and grinding

Our patients know that we are raving fans of a healthy foundation for many reasons. We take a proactive approach to getting to the root cause and correcting those root causes for your dental issues. There are times when correcting your teeth and bite goes beyond fixing your smile. If your dentist has recommended orthodontic treatment but it’s not in your budget today, we encourage you to plan for it. Understand why it is recommended. This will help with the longevity of your teeth while improving your smile.

Invisalign Clear Aligners for Orthodontic Treatment

We are proponents and providers of Invisalign tray aligners. These are clear aligners that are less noticeable and can move teeth much faster than traditional wire braces — factors that are often important to our adult population. Traditional wire braces can provide the same end result — it is a matter of your personal preference.

We invite you to visit our website and schedule a Smile Consultation with Dr. Susan Estep for an assessment.