Invisalign isn't just for show. It's ironic that such a powerful product that has advanced orthodontics by leaps and bounds is marketed using such frivolous principles.
It's not about being able to eat candy while straightening your teeth or avoiding a metal-mouth smile in photographs.
Aside from near-invisibility and convenience, here are the top ten most important reasons to use Invisalign.
1. Aesthetics
I know you're surprised, and I know the people selling Invisalign are upset, but improved aesthetics is the icing on the cake!
2. Aligners double as the protective gear you can use for the rest of your life
Using your Invisalign aligners, you can whiten and protect your teeth from grinding at night or during sporting events (such as mountain biking and weight lifting) - the device has many functions!
3. Shorter, more efficient dental cleanings with the hygienist
Teeth that are properly aligned are more self-cleaning and maintainable. They're easier to floss and easier to clean for the hygienist!
Crooked teeth are tough to clean. For example, when teeth are twisted and crowded, the dental hygienist's instrument becomes ineffective, allowing bacteria to evade removal during the cleaning process.
4. Speech and phonetics – better speech and pronunciation
The position of your teeth greatly influences your ability to pronounce words correctly.
I have patients in the film, comedy, voice-over, and music industries who have benefited from Invisalign by improving their speaking voices.
If your two upper front teeth are too long, or if you have an open bite, you may lisp, have difficulty pronouncing certain words, or even whistle slightly as you speak.
5. Misaligned teeth suffer from food impaction and make it more difficult to brush and floss properly.
When teeth do not fit tightly enough against each other, it is likely that a piece of stringy meat or vegetable will get caught in between the teeth and remain there until removed by floss.
Food impaction is a condition that can be extremely damaging to the gums and teeth. The misaligned teeth hold the food in place so that the bacteria can feast on it. Accelerating their growth in your mouth will result in accelerated gum recession and dull, throbbing pain.
Proper tooth positioning allows for easier and more effective flossing and brushing. There is less for you to do and less to worry about if your teeth are all lined up correctly and in the proper position.
6. Invisalign aligners can fix facial, jaw, and neck pain.
Patients who suffer from sore facial muscles and the effects of grinding can benefit not only from a better bite but also from wearing an aligner for several months. Wearing an Invisalign aligner is a great way to deprogram the muscles involved in grinding and relieve TMD symptoms as long as there is no joint pathology.
7. Proper tooth positioning causes better bone architecture and gum positioning, which leads to a self-maintaining mode for oral health
It's not just what's visible on the surface! When teeth are crooked, the bone that supports them is also crooked, which causes complications. This is referred to as bone architecture, and it is nearly impossible to have good gum and tooth health without optimal bone architecture.
8. Better digestion by more efficient chewing and breakdown of food particles in the mouth
The mouth is in charge of the first stage of food digestion. Improper mastication of food in the mouth has consequences for the entire process of nutrient absorption throughout the body. Simply put, without a proper bite, you will get less nutrition from your food.
9. Proper positioning of the lower jaw in relation to the upper jaw
The jaw is like a door with two hinges, one at each ear, with the door jam and strike plate representing your teeth. In an ideal mouth, the door should be able to open and close smoothly and easily. The door strikes the strike plate and the door jam simultaneously, with no excessive friction or sticking.
TMJ or TMD refers to joint pain, clicking, and popping, misaligned jaws, inefficient and painful chewing, or the inability to chew. Perfectly aligned teeth will allow that door to open and close freely, without pain or slow deterioration of the jaw.
10. A good bite
So, what's the big deal about a good bite? Look at everything above!
This is why orthodontics and braces were developed - not to give you a pretty smile, as you may have been told, but to improve your overall health and allow you to live pain-free!
We, as dentists, study it as a science, but when we present it to our patients, we fail to educate them and instead sell it to them as a piece of fluff. There is no doubt that a beautiful smile inspires confidence and self-esteem, but the former is meaningless without good physical health!
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