San Francisco Dentist Reviews How Bite Alignment Can Damage Oral Health

Many patients consider orthodontic treatment to be a purely aesthetic decision. And, while it’s true that orthodontic care can give you your dream smile, it can actually do so much more than that. Today, our San Francisco dentists are going to be reviewing some of the ways that improving dental alignment can help you smile as a whole. Let’s get started!

Effective Cleaning

Patients with crowded and crooked teeth have a more difficult time reducing plaque and tartar levels. You’ll find that both brushing and flossing are more effective with a thoughtfully aligned smile. Over time, this can reduce your instances of developing dental caries as well as gum disease.

Shifting Teeth

If you are someone with large gaps in your smile, you may notice that adjacent teeth move around over time. Closing gaps can give your smile stability as neighboring teeth actually work to hold other teeth in place.

TMJ Issues

People with poorly aligned bites are at a greater risk of developing damage to the temporomandibular joints—these are the joints that attach your lower jaw to your skull. You may experience soreness, clicking/popping sensations, and even jaw locking. Over time, teeth can wear down unevenly and prematurely due to unconscious alternations that the patient makes in his or her bite/chewing movement in order to accommodate for the poorly balanced smile.

When you undergo orthodontic treatment with our San Francisco Invisalign dentists, we address both aesthetic and functional issues at the same time. During the treatment process, you’ll wear a series of aligners, and each set of aligners will move you closer to your goal smile.

If you are unhappy with the current state of your smile, there are treatments available to help you! You can always call our San Francisco dentists to learn more and to schedule a personal consultation.