Straight teeth are not just a symbol of beauty and cleanliness; they are also an effect of optimum jaw position and breathing properly. It may surprise you that the way you breathe can directly affect the appearance of your face when it comes to the position of your teeth and jaws. People who breathe through their mouth will generally have an overbite that can give the impression of looking disinterested or not engaged.
Before we look at why you should get orthodontics, let’s look at some of the underlying causes of crooked teeth.
How does breathing through your mouth cause crooked teeth?
When you breathe through your mouth and leave your jaw hanging open your tongue does not support the teeth in your upper jaw. This is how straight teeth maintain their symmetrical curve – the strength of your tongue pressing up against them. If you fail to position your tongue correctly then your teeth don’t have any support and may move over time. This is a common cause for crooked upper teeth in children who breathe through their mouth as a habit. This can even happen later in life (even if you’ve received orthodontics) and may require revision orthodontic treatment.
Crossbites can mean an underlying problem with your jaw
If you have a cross bite (the central lines of your teeth do not match up) then it is likely that you either clench your jaw incorrectly as a habit or you have something wrong with your jaw. It’s important that you visit a dentist that offers orthodontics or an orthodontist to diagnose and address this issue. In some cases arch expansion is required to broaden the jaw and enable more room for overcrowded teeth.
Other problems that can cause crooked teeth include:
- Overcrowding (narrow jaws)
- Development issues
Why should i get braces or orthodontics?
Orthodontics straightens your teeth so that your facial profile is improved and you can smile with straight teeth. Straight teeth are also easier to clean and therefore more hygienic and they do not affect the way you speak (crooked teeth can cause lisps).
One of the most important factors is that having a crooked bite for a long time can put pressure on your jaw in the wrong places. This can lead to problems like TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) which is a condition which causes pain, headaches and problems with the function of your jaw joint. This can be expensive to treat and in some cases can require surgery to fix the problem.
Here at our Ingleburn dental practice we also believe that patients can feel better about themselves with an improved smile – as crooked teeth can cause a look of ‘gawkiness’ and straight teeth communicate professionalism.
If you are interested in finding out more about our orthodontic options to straighten teeth do not hesitate to contact us . Andrew Baderski Dental in Ingleburn is always happy to help patients achieve a straighter or improved smile.