Invisalign is a popular way to get a straighter, more attractive smile, but its benefits extend far beyond that. Like any type of orthodontic treatment, Invisalign can be used to treat a number of functional problems related to your teeth and jaw.
Addressing these issues will significantly improve your oral health and your quality of life. Whether you have never considered getting Invisalign or are currently trying to decide if it would be worth your money, the following benefits will completely change your understanding of this type of orthodontic treatment.
9 Reasons Invisalign Treatment Is Not Just for Looks
A Better Bite
Teeth work best and last longest when you have a good bite. If your teeth do not come together properly when you bite down, you might experience pain, grind down your teeth, or destroy expensive dental work.
Improving your bite with Invisalign will improve your overall health and help you ensure that your teeth last you a lifetime. This is especially important if your teeth already have many restorations in them – you cannot afford to put those weakened teeth under unnecessary stress.
Better Jaw Alignment
The position of your teeth has a significant impact on how your jaws come together. If you cannot open and close your jaws smoothly, your jaw joint will endure extra stress. Over time, this can lead to problems like joint pain, disruptive clicking and popping, and painful chewing.
Invisalign sets your teeth in the correct positions for proper jaw function, eliminating that excess stress. While there is no guarantee you will not struggle with jaw issues, keeping your teeth in line makes it much less likely.
Better Digestion
To digest your food properly, you must first chew it thoroughly. This can be difficult to do if your teeth and jaw are not in the proper position. You may have too few contacts between your teeth, too little bite force, or experience too much pain to chew as much as you need to.
Once your teeth have been rearranged using Invisalign, you should be able to chew much more easily. This will help you start the digestion process on the right foot, making it easier for your body to break that food down into the nutrients it needs.
Improved Bone Architecture and Gum Position
Good oral health is not just about the health of your teeth and gums. Your jawbone has a lot to do with it as well. If your jawbone is not properly shaped to support your teeth and gums, you will have difficulty maintaining good oral health.
Getting treatment from an Invisalign dentist can reshape your bone structure below the surface. This may improve the aesthetics of your facial structure and will set you up for better oral health for life.
Less Jaw, Neck, and Face Pain
Misaligned teeth often lead to teeth grinding, a destructive habit that erodes your tooth enamel and puts unnatural amounts of strain on your neck, jaw, and facial muscles.
Invisalign treatment can resolve your grinding problem and reduce the pain you experience as a result. While there may be other factors involved that complicate the problem, many people with bruxism (teeth grinding) report feeling much better after undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Eliminate Food Impaction
Food impaction is the dental term for food that gets stuck between your teeth. The bacteria in your mouth then feast on those food particles for hours, creating ideal conditions for tooth decay and gum disease.
Food impaction rarely happens when teeth are properly aligned, and when it does, it is easy to fix the problem with simple flossing. Invisalign can help you get your teeth in the proper position. You will still need to floss, but you will find that a lot less food gets stuck between your teeth.
Easier Speech
Whether you are aware of it or not, you depend on your teeth to pronounce certain words or make certain sounds. If your teeth are not straight, you may not be able to speak as clearly as you could.
Invisalign treatment gives you the tools you need to speak clearly and be understood by the people around you. It puts your teeth back into their proper position and allows you to complete the mouth and tongue movements necessary for speech.
Better Cleaning
Straighter teeth are also much easier to keep clean. Twisted, rotated, poorly aligned teeth create all sorts of nooks and crannies where food particles and bacteria can hide. It is easy to miss these areas when you brush and floss, allowing the plaque to build up into tartar that your dental hygienist needs to scrape off.
With straighter teeth, plaque has nowhere to hide. Not only will less of it build up to begin with, but you will also have no difficulty scrubbing away most of it each day. Your hygienist will easily be able to scrape off the few traces of tartar that are left, leading to shorter dental appointments and maybe even lower dental bills.
You Can Re-Use the Appliance
Invisalign treatment is carried out using a set of custom plastic trays made specifically to fit your mouth. You do not have to throw these trays away when you are finished with your treatment.
Your old Invisalign tray can be used to hold whitening products or as a nightguard to minimize teeth grinding. Wearing this appliance often will also help keep your teeth from drifting out of their corrected positions. Just be sure to use only the last tray to avoid undoing your beautiful results!
Improve Your Smile and Oral Health with Invisalign in Mississauga
If you are ready to start searching for Invisalign, Trillium Smile Dentistry is here to help you get the Invisalign treatment you need and all the extra benefits it provides. Contact us today to take the first step toward straighter teeth and better oral health. Our team will be happy to give you an estimate of Invisalign costs in Toronto or book a consultation appointment for you.