Crooked teeth can be caused by many factors including the premature loss of baby teeth, a facial injury, your genetic disposition or poor dental habits as a child. Not only do crooked teeth affect your smile and your pearly whites, but also they can create mouth problems as well as affect your general health. A visit to a Phoenixville dentist can help you to avoid problems with your mouth and general health.
Gum Disease
Crooked teeth can cause periodontal disease, or gum disease. This condition occurs because the bacteria that causes gum disease accumulates between the spaces of your crooked teeth. This condition is even worse if your gums don’t seat properly around your teeth as it leads to the formation of pockets where colonies of bacteria can thrive and grow. In turn, this will lead to tooth loss and severe periodontal disease.
Bad Breath
If you have crooked teeth, you will also have halitosis, or bad breath. This can lead to a very embarrassing situation. This is caused by the bacteria that resides in your mouth because of the spaces that are unnatural from your crooked or misaligned teeth. If you have bad breath regularly and you diligently floss and brush your teeth, then it’s time to visit an orthodontist.
Difficulty Cleaning
Your largest problem by far with crooked teeth is cleaning them properly. It can be hard to reach all the areas you should brush and floss with misaligned teeth. It can also lead to a large buildup of plaque and food particles that stick between your teeth. This can lead to more dental problems in the future.
Can’t Chew Properly
It can be much harder to chew properly with crooked teeth because proper chewing motions depend on your jaw and teeth being properly aligned. Proper contact between the lower and upper teeth is needed to chew, as you should. When you don’t chew your food up as much as it should be before swallowing, it can lead to further problems with your digestive system and your nourishment.
Increased Tooth Injuries
When you have crooked teeth, you will likely have to readjust the position of your jaw when you are speaking or eating and this leads to your teeth cracking, breaking and chipping easily. It is caused by the excessive amount of contact on some of your teeth in some areas in your mouth.
Excessive Wear and Tear
Your tooth enamel can wear unevenly because of misaligned teeth that make more of your teeth stick out and rub against other teeth. If you should happen to grind your teeth in your sleep, it will cause rubbing against each other with much force, which leads to broken, cracking or erosion in your teeth.
Overall Health Effects
Dental problems can affect so much more than your oral health. When the bacteria builds up in your mouth, it can lead to other serious ailments, such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes and pneumonia.
You have many options in teeth straightening no matter if it is for a child, a teenager or an adult. No matter what age you are, it’s imperative to your dental and physical health to have your teeth aligned properly from an orthodontist Annapolis, MD.