The importance of having your teeth aligned

Having perfectly aligned teeth is important from an esthetic point of view, but tooth alignment is also essential for maintaining good oral health and preventing disease. In some cases, teeth become misaligned due to a variety of factors.

Problems resulting from misaligned teeth: dental malocclusion

When teeth are not perfectly aligned, a number of problems can develop, such as dental malocclusion, which is defined as a misalignment of the teeth that prevents the upper and lower teeth from fitting together properly when the mouth is closed.

This is a problem that can usually be treated more quickly during childhood or adolescence. In the vast majority of cases, dental malocclusion is usually caused by a hereditary malformation of the jaw or teeth, lack of vitamin D or poor oral hygiene.

However, it can also be caused by some bad habits during childhood such as thumb sucking, pressing the teeth with the tongue or using a bottle for a prolonged period of time.

Malocclusion can have effects on speech, on the uniform appearance of the face and on the chewing of food. For this reason, the specialists at the Ruiz de Gopegui dental clinic recommend treating this problem before it reaches maturity. That is, when the bone is still soft and the teeth can move easily.

The right treatments to align teeth

In most cases, the best treatment to correct dental misalignment is orthodontics. However, in some cases there are bone alterations that may require surgical intervention. In this sense, treatments such as Invisalign or braces (self-ligating brackets or lingual brackets) can be used to solve these problems.

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The treatment of malocclusion reduces the possibility of suffering periodontal disease, since it facilitates the cleaning of the teeth, especially the interdental spaces. The gums are the support of the teeth, so if there are spaces due to misalignment, food can accumulate and bacteria are generated that directly attack the gums until they reach the bone.

For this reason, orthodontics is a preventive treatment for this type of disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis.

In addition, having properly aligned teeth also reduces the chances of bruxism, eliminates stress on the teeth, jaw and muscles, which reduces the risk of breakage.

The advantages of aligned teeth

A healthy and aligned set of teeth allows the patient to:

  • Increase their self-esteem, to have greater self-confidence.
  • To have healthier teeth and gums.
  • Have a better occlusion