Have you considered restoring your smile due to crooked, overcrowded, broken, or chipped teeth? Have you hesitated because you’re afraid the only reason to fix them is vanity? There are some cosmetic dental issues that have legitimate effects on your long-term health, so you shouldn’t feel bad for wanting to fix those problems. Dr. Brent Blaylock in Durham NC is an experienced dentist who can help restore and preserve your natural smile.
Ensure Teeth Wear Evenly
Teeth are aligned in the mouth for a specific reason. They are aligned to make sure you can bite properly and avoid tooth decay and pain. If you have crooked or overcrowded teeth, they may not wear evenly on other teeth. A common cause for excess tooth wear is an uneven bite, which can be caused by an overbite, underbite, crooked or missing teeth, a jaw injury, or an uneven crown or molding fit.
While tooth enamel is designed to be strong, excess wear in the wrong place can lead to serious dental health concerns. Teeth can wear down to the more sensitive layers beneath the enamel and become infected and painful. If left untreated, a person’s teeth can wear down to their stumps, meaning that crowns, bridges, root canals, implants, or even dentures may be required to solve the problem.
Decrease Your Risk of Gum Disease
Misaligned, chipped, and overcrowded teeth are difficult to clean, which increases the risk of gum disease. Even if you can still brush all of your teeth, there may be certain areas in between or underneath teeth that you can’t clean or floss as well. If teeth aren’t cleaned properly, plaque can build up and harden on teeth, eroding enamel and gums, which could result in infection or tooth loss. Progressive gum disease is linked to systemic health problems.
Improve Overall Health
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is linked to many systemic problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and more recently, Alzheimer’s disease. The bacteria that infect the gums can travel throughout the bloodstream and cause problems in the brain and the rest of the body. Issues that may seem cosmetic such as chipped or cracked teeth, an overcrowded mouth, or an uneven bite have the potential to develop into more serious health problems, so don’t feel vain if you want to correct dental issues.
How to Improve Your Smile
Dr. Blaylock is an experienced dentist who offers many different types of conservative, effective treatments to fit your needs. Schedule a consultation with our office today to keep your smile healthy and your confidence high!