Over the years, studies have shown that people perceive those with straight teeth to be happier, smarter, and more successful than those without straight teeth. This alone might make you want to straighten your teeth if they’re crooked right now.
But this shouldn’t be the only reason why you choose to fix crooked teeth. There are also lots of different health benefits of straight teeth that should be on your radar.
Whether you decide to go with metal adult braces or clear aligners, you will be able to enjoy so many health benefits of straight teeth when you choose to go through orthodontic treatment. Here are eight of the biggest full-body health benefits that’ll come along with having straight teeth.
1. Longer-Lasting Teeth
One of the first big benefits of having straight teeth is that it’ll put you in a position to keep all your teeth for a much longer time than you might be able to otherwise. About 120 million Americans have lost at least one of their teeth, and a large percentage of them have lost more teeth than that.
When you have straight teeth, it’ll make brushing and flossing them so much easier. It’ll also make it possible for you to get your teeth professionally cleaned twice each year.
As a result, you’ll find that you will be able to hang onto your teeth for the foreseeable future. That alone will have such a positive impact on your health as a whole.
2. Fewer Jaw-Related Problems
If you have crooked teeth and you choose not to do anything about them, it won’t be long before you begin to experience jaw-related problems. More specifically, you might find that your jaw will fall out of alignment because of your crooked teeth. This can lead to you having to deal with pain in your mouth, ears, and even neck.
By making a push to straighten teeth, you can sidestep these types of issues and keep your jaw in excellent shape for many years to come.
3. Less Throat Infections
When you aren’t able to get crooked teeth as clean as they can be on a daily basis, it could result in bacteria building up in your mouth. This bacteria can eventually work its way down to your throat and lead to you having to do battle with potentially painful throat infections.
You should be able to avoid many of these throat infections by using adult braces or clear aligners to straighten teeth. The straighter your teeth are, the easier it’ll be to clean them and stop bacteria from wreaking havoc on your mouth and throat.
4. Improved Digestion
Did you know that crooked teeth can take a toll on your digestive system’s ability to break down all the food you eat? When you have teeth that are crooked, you might not be able to chew your food up well enough, and it can force your digestive system to have to work harder to properly digest this food.
With straight teeth, you’ll be able to chew your food up into very small pieces so that your body can begin to digest them before they even reach your stomach. It’ll improve your digestion by leaps and bounds and help you steer clear of certain stomach conditions.
5. Better Heart Health
Remember the bacteria that can build up in your mouth when you have crooked teeth that we just mentioned a moment ago? This bacteria might harm more than just your mouth and throat if you let it.
It could actually work its way into your bloodstream if you’re not careful where it could then do damage to your heart. It can increase your chances of having to deal with heart disease and possibly even do damage to some of your arteries.
One of the biggest health benefits of straight teeth is that they’ll help to improve your heart health both now and well into the future. Heart disease is the leading cause of heart disease in this country, so you should do everything in your power to avoid it.
6. Healthier Brain
If bacteria from your mouth is able to make its way into your bloodstream, it might damage more than just your heart. It could also lead to you suffering a stroke, which can put the health of your brain at risk.
The good news is that you can work to prevent this from happening by doing your absolute best to take care of your teeth. But you might also want to think about trying to straighten crooked teeth to ensure you’re taking every possible precaution to minimize your chances of suffering a stroke.
7. More Sleep
Believe it or not, crooked teeth might be able to stop you from getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. As we alluded to earlier, they can cause problems with the alignment of your jaw, which could result in you grinding your teeth at night or even suffering from sleep apnea.
These kinds of conditions can have a huge impact on your sleep, which could make you feel more fatigued and sluggish during the day. Straightening your teeth won’t be the only way to fight back against these conditions, but it could help.
8. Improved Mental Health
If you have crooked teeth, it can affect your self-esteem, your self-esteem, and even your self-worth in some cases. This might lead to your mental health taking a hit.
By straightening your teeth, you’ll be able to make yourself feel better about your overall appearance, which can work wonders for your mental health. It’s one more reason to strongly consider using adult braces or clear aligners to straighten teeth.
Let Us Help You Obtain the Health Benefits of Straight Teeth
Would you like to begin embracing all the benefits of straight teeth? Jacobus Orthodontics can help you do it when you turn to us for orthodontic services in the Fort Pierce, FL area.
We can leave you with the straight teeth you’ve always wanted. You’ll be surprised to see just how beneficial they can be for you.
Schedule a consultation today!