If you are considering getting Invisalign® for your teeth, you have already probably seen many of the benefits of the aligners. You may have seen material promoting Invisalign® at your dentist’s office. Maybe you saw a commercial for it on TV. Or perhaps you know someone who has had great success with the treatment and they recommended you to try them for yourself. Regardless of your information source, the chances are good that you have come across the benefits that come with this fantastic orthodontic treatment. The benefits of Invisalign® go beyond just have straighter teeth and a nicer smile, but can improve overall health and wellbeing.
Before we get into the benefits of invisalign® that go beyond a nicer smiler, it’s important to understand what Invisalign® is. To put it simply, Invisalign® is a set of clear aligners that are designed for your teeth. To get started, you will meet with your dentist, and using a special scanner, the dentist can take a 3D digital scan of your teeth and create a personalized treatment. From there, you will begin wearing your first set of aligners. You’ll schedule face-to-face check-ups typically every 6-8 weeks to check your progress and pick up the next batch of aligners customized for your teeth and treatment plan. Depending on the complexity of your case, you could complete your treatment in as little as 6 months, but you’ll start seeing results in a matter of weeks.
A Better Bite
Orthodontics, including the use of aligners like Invisalign®, do more than just give you a pretty smile at the end of your treatment. The truth is, Invisalign® also gives you a good bite. This means improved chewing, digestion, and speech. It also helps prevent unnecessary strain on your jaws, teeth, and facial muscles.
Proper Jaw Positioning
Misaligned jaws, such as having an underbite or overbite, can cause pain in the joints, clicking and popping, inefficient and painful chewing, or even the inability to chew. Perfectly aligned teeth as a result of Invisalign® will allow the mouth to open and close freely without slow deterioration of the jaw and without pain.
Better Digestion
The mouth is responsible for the first stage of the digestion of food. Improper mastication of food in the mouth has ramifications for the entire process of the absorption of nutrients throughout the body. To put it simply, you will get less nutrition out of the food you eat without a proper bite. With proper jaw alignment, chewing and the overall digestion process can be improved.
Better Overall Health
Multiple general health issues have been linked to oral health, including heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and depression, infections, and pneumonia.
As your oral health worsens, your mouth becomes an entry point into the body for bacteria that can cause disease. This means your chances of developing these diseases increases as your oral health decreases.
The simple solution to protect yourself is to improve your oral health, and one of the best ways to do that is with Invisalign® clear aligners. As your teeth become straighter and your oral health improves, the bacteria in your mouth will lessen and your chances of developing any of these other health issues will decrease.
Brush and Floss More Effectively
When teeth do not fit up against each other tightly enough, it is likely that, at every meal, a piece of stringy meat or vegetable will get caught in between the teeth and will stay there until removed by floss.
This condition is called food impaction and can cause great harm to the gums and teeth and can cause bad breath. The food is held in place by the misaligned teeth so that the bacteria can feast upon it.
Proper positioning of the teeth facilitates easier and more effective flossing and brushing. If your teeth are all lined up correctly in the proper position, there is less for you to do and less to worry about to have good oral health.
Speech and Phonetics
With Invisalign®, you may see an improvement in speech and pronunciation. Think about it, your ability to pronounce words properly is largely determined by the position of your teeth. Having misaligned teeth may cause or worsen a lisp or make it difficult to pronounce certain words. With straighter teeth, speech and phonetics are made easier.
Shorter Cleanings with Your Hygienist
Teeth that are properly aligned tend to be more self-cleaning and more self-maintaining. They’re easier to floss and they’re easier for the hygienist to clean! Crooked teeth are difficult to clean, both for you at home and also for a dental hygienist.
As you can see, there are so many ways that Invisalign® can benefit one’s health that go beyond improved confidence from a straighter smile. Invisalign® is a cost-effective treatment option that can resolve a multitude of problems relating to oral health.
If you’re interested in Invisalign®, contact Southern Dental Associates to set up an initial consultation. There’s no reason to wait any longer for straight teeth and improved overall health!
