Is your smile just ever-so-slightly crooked? Or have you started to notice tooth or jaw pain? You might need dental alignment repair. And even if you’re not – it’s very likely that you will need some work done at least once in your life. Here’s how you can prevent future problems now.
Get Your Wisdom Teeth Removed
Your wisdom teeth are – frankly – outdated evolutionary leftovers that don’t do much except cause problems. Some people may even go decades without noticing or suffering from pain caused by wisdom tooth growth, only to be inconveniently struck by it in their later years. If you want to erase all possibility of that happening, you can take care of them sooner rather than later in a routine operation that shouldn’t be too expensive with normal dental insurance. If you don’t get them surgically removed, you run the risk of having them grown in at strange angles that can contort or misalign the rest of your teeth.
Look Into Treatment
If you already have alignment issues, don’t worry! There are many different treatments for various issues, and all of them are more or less common. Braces or translucent invisalign are great options for gradually straightening teeth over the course of many months. A retainer can also be used for a similar purpose. If your issues lie more within your jaw – maybe if you have an overbite or underbite – you may want headgear or a modern equivalent. Trust your cosmetic dentistry professional’s judgment when it comes to selecting a treatment for alignment problems, and always follow their accompanying maintenance instructions. For example, you should deep clean your retainer at least once a week.
Good Dental Hygiene
That’s right – not only will proper dental hygiene help you to have a healthy mouth for a long time, but it will also prevent your teeth from shifting over time. Shifting teeth and a worsening alignment are actually entirely possible for adults and elderly individuals, so be on the lookout for signs of degradation as you age. Avoid bad habits, like grinding teeth unconsciously. Taking care of your gums will contribute greatly to healthy and stable teeth, so make sure to brush and floss daily. Avoid gingivitis, and refrain from brushing hard enough that your gums recede. Taking routine visits to a general dentist can also help maintain or improve your dental health.
Teeth alignment problems are quite common. On one hand, that means that addressing such problems is routine for most dentists. On the other hand, it means that you are quite likely to encounter them at least once – if not in your own life, then in the life of a loved one.
Check out this article on common issues with teeth that can hurt your self-esteem!
