A Common Problem No One Talks About
The misalignment of teeth, or malocclusion, is a very common condition. You may not be bothered by your condition yet, but avoiding having them corrected, may ultimately mean experiencing more severe problems later.
Teeth straightening is about more than aesthetics, it’s about your bite. Many people think that teeth straightening treatment is merely about appearance. However, if our teeth don’t bite in a harmonious way, it’s very similar to car tires that have uneven pressure. Teeth will wear, and chip unevenly, and subsequently, gums will recede or wear away. Your bite is also linked to other structures and functions of muscles and joints in your head and neck. You may be experiencing headaches, not realizing that it has everything to do with your teeth alignment and your bite.
A bite problem may be the least discussed and addressed of all dental issues. But in fact, if you focus on the bite and alignment, you can invest in the prevention of many dental issues and expensive treatments in the future.
There Are Good Reasons for Correction
Correcting your bite is important, you can avoid several conditions and complications that all result in damage to your teeth:
- Overcrowding: Overcrowded teeth are tight up against each other, and tend to drift tighter and tighter together over time. This means they are difficult to clean, trapping food that can result in cavities. They also share less and less supportive bone, and can thus be very prone to bone loss and lack of support. This can lead to premature tooth loss.
- Sleep Loss: Misaligned teeth can also cost you precious sleep, interfere with breathing, causing sleep apnea. They can be the cause of TMJ (temporomandibular joint or jaw joint) issues or grinding and clenching. Pain associated with misaligned teeth can result in sleep loss and can worsen over time.
- Eating Problems: Teeth that are misaligned can cause discomfort when eating and even pain in the jaw, especially if the TMJ has been overused, with clenching overnight. This may be muscular pain, a worn-down tooth being sensitive, or the gums receded, causing sensitivity. Not chewing food properly can also cause digestive difficulties for your stomach.
- Speech Impediment: It is quite common for teeth misalignment to cause speech impediments such as slurred speech. This may cause difficulty being understood by others, or more mildly, a lisp.
- Appearance: Straight teeth have a significant impact on your overall appearance. A beautiful smile goes a long way toward making a great impression. An underbite or overbite have an effect on the appearance of your face, changing your expression, and misleading others. The first impression at a job interview, or meeting people for the first time, is very different when you have the confidence of your smile working for you!
Invisalign Aligners Can Help
There have been significant strides in orthodontics in the last few decades. Invisalign has surpassed all orthodontic technologies and now has many significant advantages:
- You can easily remove the Invisalign aligners for playing sports or an instrument.
- There is no reason for an emergency visit, as aligners are easy and smooth.
- You don’t have to worry about what you eat. Just remove your invisible aligners for eating and brushing.
- Invisalign aligners correct your teeth and align your jaw in the same process.
Invisalign aligners can be used just like braces. They gradually move your teeth to correct your bite. But you don’t have wires poking you and the pain of severe metal alignment. Invisalign is unlike braces discomfort and is more like a tight hug of your teeth.
Choose Yaletown Dentistry in Downtown Vancouver BC
Come in for a complimentary 3D scan of your teeth, a series of 5-minute pictures that will allow you to visualize any issues with your bite. You can see a computer rendering of your “tire balance” and see what the technology can predict for wear and tear patterns. You will see any teeth that may chip in the future, as well as other issues that would arise over the next few years.
We can give you a detailed plan of how quick the treatment would be and the cost. We can also help to optimize your dental insurance, to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. We provide a very flexible payment plan so can work with your monthly budget. We also provide virtual tracking of your progress, so visits in-office are minimized.
The great thing is, this process is a gentler and easier way to give you the smile you always wanted.
Yaletown Dentistry is located in downtown Vancouver. Our Invisalign services are centred around providing painless solutions and feature Invisalign Invisible Corrective Aligners.
Come in for a complimentary consultation and evaluation. Scheduling is easy. Book an appointment online, or simply call us. See you soon!