It is not just about looks! Top 7 problems caused by crooked teeth
Dealing with crooked teeth can make you feel self-conscious and turn your smile into a frown. When you have an unaligned smile, it’s not just an issue of how you look, but also with how you feel. If you have crooked teeth, you need to be aware that there are a number of other health-related problems this condition can present besides an uneven smile.
1. More Prone to Gum Disease
Oral care in case of crowded or crooked teeth is naturally hard. Over time, poor oral health or dental health results in bad breath, plaque, tooth decay, and eventually, gum disease. The initial stage of gum disease is called gingivitis when the gums feel itchy, irritated, and swollen. Bleeding gums is another symptom of gum disease. But if gingivitis is left untreated, it leads to periodontitis in which the problem travels to the bone and results in bone and tooth loss.
2. Difficult to Keep Your Teeth Clean
Flossing is hard enough, but with crooked teeth, it’s even more challenging to get it between those tight spaces. The same thing applies to your toothbrush, which means you could have a tough time trying to keep your oral hygiene in check. When the teeth are close together, it’s almost impossible to get that all-important floss in between tight spaces.
3. Teeth Wear Out Faster
If your bottom teeth are crowded, one or more of them could protrude and rub against your upper teeth. Even if you don’t have a problem with it now, this issue can cause excess wear of your enamel over time. When the teeth rub together, it slowly wears away the protective enamel, resulting in problems like cavities and even a possible abscess tooth.
4. Harder to Chew
For many people, their teeth are crooked due to a misaligned jaw. When this happens, the upper and lower teeth may protrude, which causes them to rub together and make chewing difficult. If you can’t chew your food thoroughly, you could end up choking or dealing with digestion issues.
5. Bad Breath is Common
Since crooked teeth tend to harbor bacteria, it’s no surprise that you may end up with some pretty bad breath. It can be hard to get all of that bacteria out from between your teeth, so your breath ends up smelling not-so-pleasant.
6. Low Self Esteem
Your smile plays a big role in not only how you look, but also how you feel. People with a beautiful smile tend to smile more, which lowers stress and anxiety levels. With a crooked smile, you could have a lower confidence level which can, in turn, cause you to smile less and stress more. Anything that affects your self-esteem in a negative way can have a serious snowball effect on your mental health.
7. Speech problems
When teeth are not in the right place, it can become difficult to properly pronounce words. This is especially troublesome for vocalists and public speakers.
It is true that straighter teeth improve the overall appearance and boost confidence. But teeth straightening is vital in case of extreme teeth misalignment since it can lead to periodontitis, which increases the risk of heart disease. Infected bone below the gum line can cause a bacterial infection in the heart stream, which can affect the valves in the heart.
