Recently updated on October 25th, 2022 at 11:42 am
Do you hide your smile behind closed lips or cover your mouth? You’re not alone. In fact, more than half of the American population feels insecure about their teeth.
You don’t have to live life with an uneven smile or crooked teeth. Instead, consider these orthodontic treatments. With these teeth straightening options, you can discover how to straighten your teeth!
What teeth straightening options are available? How can they benefit your life and oral health? Keep reading to find out!
In this guide, we’ll review everything you need to know regarding how to have straight teeth. Then, you can discuss your options with your orthodontist. Get ready to discover your ideal treatment.
Read on to learn more!
How to Get Straight Teeth
Table of Contents
If you want to learn how to straighten your teeth, talk to an orthodontist. They can help you determine which orthodontic treatment is best for your needs.
1. Invisalign
Your orthodontist might suggest Invisalign. Invisalign uses clear aligners that fit around your teeth. The aligners will pull your teeth into the proper placement.
What are the benefits of Invisalign? For starters, they’re discrete. No one will notice you’re wearing the aligners.
You can also take the aligners out whenever you want. You won’t have to limit your diet.
Instead, you can eat your favorite foods whenever you’d like. You’ll need to brush, floss, and put your aligners back in, though.
You need to wear your aligners between 18 and 22 hours a day.
Wearing Invisalign aligners also makes it easier for you to brush and floss. You won’t have to worry about metal brackets or wires. Instead, you can take your aligners out to brush as you normally would.
You can find Invisalign near me here to start your treatment.
2. Palatal Expanders
Do you have a child whose mouth is too small for their future, adult teeth? Talk to the orthodontist about palatal expanders. These expanders work by widening the upper arch.
Once treatment is complete, your child’s mouth will have enough room for their adult teeth. The teeth will then move naturally into their spaces.
3. Appliances
For more severe cases, your orthodontist might suggest appliances. For example, you can use headgear to move your teeth into alignment.
You can also consider the Herbst appliance. This appliance corrects jaw imperfections to ensure your teeth appear straight.
4. Retainers
Talk to your orthodontist about the different retainers that are available. They might suggest fixed retainers, like bonded lingual retainers. These retainers are attached to the inner surface of your teeth.
The attachment will keep your teeth from unnecessary shifting.
Wearing a retainer could help you discover how to have straight teeth without braces.
However, you can’t remove a fixed retainer on your own. You might want to consider removable retainers instead.
5. Braces
Braces align your teeth by using metal braces and wires to draw your teeth together.
When comparing Invisalign vs braces, consider your lifestyle. Would you prefer a more discrete option? Consider Invisalign.
Are you worried about losing your aligners? Are you disciplined enough to keep your aligners in for almost 22 hours a day? If not, consider metal braces instead.
Metal braces will remain in your teeth to ensure you receive around-the-clock treatment.
The Benefits of Straightening Your Teeth
Why should you discover how to straighten your teeth with orthodontics? There are a few ways having straight teeth can impact your daily life.
1. Tooth and Gum Health
For starters, you might find it’s more difficult to floss when your teeth are crowded or crooked. When you fail to brush and floss properly, food particles can get stuck between your teeth. These particles mix with bacteria and saliva to form plaque.
In time, plaque can harden into tartar. You’ll need a professional’s help to clean tartar away from your teeth. Otherwise, the tooth could start to decay.
Exploring your teeth straightening options can help. When your teeth are straight, they’re easier to clean.
Are your teeth crowded? You might notice a tooth is jutting out of place. If your teeth don’t fit together properly, you could start grinding your teeth.
Grinding your teeth (bruxism) can cause your tooth enamel to wear out. You can’t regain tooth enamel once it’s gone. The enamel protects your teeth from decay.
Straightening your teeth can prevent abnormal wear and tear on your teeth.
In fact, straight teeth can impact your gums, too.
Your gums could become red and inflamed due to spacing issues. You could develop a gum disease like gingivitis. Symptoms of gingivitis include:
- Tender gums
- Receding gums
- Bad breath
- Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
- Red gums
- Swollen or puffy gums
Gingivitis can cause inflammation if it spreads to underlying tissue and bone. You might notice a change in how your teeth fit together. In fact, you might develop more spacing issues.
In time, gingivitis can develop into periodontitis. You could lose your teeth.
Instead, learn how to straighten your teeth through orthodontic treatment. You can ensure your teeth fit together properly. Then, you can use your oral hygiene routine to keep your gums healthy.
2. Better Self-Esteem
Are you hiding your smile away? If you’re not happy with the state of your smile, consider orthodontics. You can straighten your smile with any of the above treatments.
Once your smile improves, your self-esteem will, too. You’ll feel confident, which could reduce unnecessary stress regarding your appearance.
3. Improved Health
Straightening your teeth could improve your overall health. When tooth decay develops, bacteria can spread. Oral diseases can also contribute to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and pneumonia.
You can reduce your risk of contracting these diseases by improving your oral health.
Crooked teeth could cause stress on your bones and gums. You could develop a jaw misalignment as a result. A misalignment could lead to neck pain and headaches.
Explore your teeth straightening options to reduce your headaches.
How to Straighten Your Teeth: Your Guide to a Straight Smile
Now that you know how to straighten your teeth, consider contacting an orthodontist. They can help you review these options. With their help, you can start the right orthodontic treatment based on your oral health needs.
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