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The Facts About Crooked Smiles

March 30, 2018
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Having crooked teeth can make you feel self-conscious when you talk, laugh, or smile. It can shake your confidence, but just as importantly, a crooked smile can negatively impact your oral health. The longer you wait to address your teeth’s needs, the more impact the crookedness can have on your overall oral health. A crooked smile can increase your risk of developing gum disease, tooth decay, tooth damage, jaw disorders, bruxism, and more. There are some facts that you should know about having a crooked smile, including the fact that you could be able to correct it without having to rely on traditional orthodontic braces.

Adults Can Straighten Their Smiles

A misaligned bite often develops early in life, and if it goes without being address, it could result in a crooked smile. This is why teenagers are often the ones to receive orthodontic treatment, as a way to prevent smile problems before they really happen. However, adults can also receive treatment. Some adults that had a straight smile through their younger years may find themselves wondering how their smile became crooked in adulthood. The fact is there are some dental issues that can cause teeth to become crooked even if they have always been straight. For instance, an impacted wisdom tooth can put force on the rest of your teeth to push them out of alignment. Because of the negative effects of crooked teeth, it is important that it get straightened out at any age.

The Negative Impact

The most serious consequences of crooked teeth go beyond appearance, and can include damaged teeth, damaged jaw joints (TMJ disorder), tooth decay, gum disease, etc. Because a crooked smile creates nooks and crannies for bacteria to hide, it increases your chances of tooth decay and gum disease. Unbalanced pressure on your jaw joint can lead to TMJ disorder and/or bruxism. Many people, mostly adults, hesitate to straighten teeth out of a fear of the way that orthodontic braces will look. But they should know that nearly invisible treatment using Invisalign® clear aligners can help straighten smiles and eliminate the negative impact of a crooked smile.

Do You Have a Crooked Smile?

There is help for a crooked smile. Find out if you qualify for Invisalign® treatment. To schedule a consultation, call Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-427-4018.