visit an orthodontist

2.5 billion people are affected by something going on with their teeth, whether it’s periodontal disease or overcrowding. Regardless of what you’re dealing with, the only answer is to visit an orthodontist and let them help you take care of some of the most common dental issues you may be struggling with.

Do you have something going on and want to start improving your dental health? We’ve got a brief guide below that will help you determine whether the next step is to visit an orthodontist or not.

Read on now, and you might be scheduling an orthodontic appointment sooner rather than later.

1. You Want to Straighten Your Teeth

There are several reasons why your teeth might not be as straight as you’d like. For some people, it’s because they injured their mouths while growing up; for others, it’s simply how their adult teeth grew in.

No matter what the reason for your teeth not being straight, we understand that not having the smile you want can affect your confidence and how you feel about yourself. If this sounds like the case for you, it’s time you seek help from a trained professional.

They can help you decide between some methods that could help straighten your teeth, including Invisalign and braces. If these options are things you’ve considered, remember to inquire about options to pay for them because depending on the length of time it will take to strengthen your teeth can increase the overall cost you end up paying.

But, in the long run, whatever you have to pay will be worth it to achieve the smile you’ve always dreamed of.

2. A Gap In Your Teeth

Many people are born with gaps, which could be something that runs in your family. This doesn’t mean that you have to be happy with having one and that there is nothing you can do to fix it.

There are several reasons outside of genetics that a person can have a gap grow. Our mouths and teeth grow and change naturally, but for some people, this growth leads to wider gaps forming between their teeth.

Another reason there might be a gap in a person’s teeth is when they lose a tooth in some places. If they don’t get dentures or pay for other methods that close the gap, then it will remain.

When you attend your appointment, they will assess the gap and review different ways to close it. Depending on their assessment, they can help you draw closer to something that will work best for your situation.

3. Issues With Teeth Grinding

30% of people find themselves grinding their teeth, whether it’s because they suffer from anxiety or do so in their sleep without realizing it. Grinding your teeth can cause a host of problems outside of affecting the appearance of your teeth. It can also lead to jaw pain.

Prolonged grinding of your teeth can cause cracks in the enamel that break them down over time. If this is something you’ve been dealing with, you need to speak to an orthodontist at your earliest convenience.

They can help determine the severity of the situation and help get you fitted for a mouthguard to help decrease further damage caused by teeth grinding.

4. Sleep Problems

Did you know that the improper alignment of your teeth can cause sleep apnea in some situations? It’s true that if your teeth don’t align properly, the difference in your upper and lower jaw can be a factor that contributes to your sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a problem that causes a person’s breathing to be affected or stopped when sleeping. When this happens, your body has to shock itself to remember to start breathing again.

Because this happens when you’re asleep, it can affect the quality of sleep you receive and cause you to wake several times throughout the night. You should speak with an orthodontist if you suspect your tooth alignment is a cause and take things a step further.

Many people will submit to a sleep study to determine the actual cause of their sleep apnea. It also brings a deeper understanding of the treatment methods you can use to help improve the situation.

5. You Have Too Many Teeth

This might not seem like a massive deal to everybody, but when one tooth pushes on another, it can lead to overcrowding in your mouth. Not only does the appearance of overcrowding affect your confidence it can also become more challenging to clean all your teeth.

Tight spaces in your mouth are a playground for food to hide. When food isn’t adequately removed from between teeth during your daily brushing routine, it can begin to affect the surface of your teeth, leading to the development of cavities.

It can also make it harder to get floss in the right places, which also can lead to gum and other periodontal diseases. Your orthodontist can again review Invisalign and braces as options to solve the overcrowding.

Depending on how many teeth you have, there is, on occasion, a reason to pull teeth that could cause future issues after you’ve corrected the problem.

Reasons to Visit An Orthodontist

When you stop to think about it, there are several reasons to visit an orthodontist. Whether you want to straighten your teeth or have a problem with grinding your teeth, these are discussed above and should drive you to schedule an appointment.

Are you looking into scheduling an appointment? Contact Wardlaw Orthodontics and let us help you improve your oral health today.