Teeth Straightening Treatments: What Are My Options?
The team at South Ogden Smiles is always committed to helping patients have healthy and beautiful smiles, which means lasting dental wellness and greater confidence. This is why we offer advanced cosmetic dentistry and smile makeover treatment with a focus on health and prevention.
Most people aren't born with perfect smiles, but that doesn't mean they're impossible to attain. With that in mind, let's consider problems related to crooked teeth and the various options for straightening a smile.
Aesthetic Flaws Related to Crooked Teeth
When you have teeth that are crooked, they can cause some major issues with the appearance of your smile. Crooked teeth may cause crowding, gaps, and significant issues with overall appearance of your smile. This can lead to serious issues with self-consciousness, making you feel ashamed or unwilling to laugh, smile, or speak, even around people you've know for years. Good first impressions may seem more difficult to make as well.
Dental Health Problems Related to Crooked Teeth
In addition to aesthetic problems, crooked teeth can also lead to a number of dental health issues. For instance, crooked teeth can lead to soreness and discomfort when biting and chewing. In addition, dental misalignment has been linked to a number of other issues, including teeth grinding (bruxism) and TMJ disorders.
Given the cosmetic and health problems related to tooth misalignment, it's a good thing that there are plenty of treatments available.
Dental Bonding for Minor Tooth Misalignment
For minor tooth misalignment, sometimes a subtle procedure like dental bonding is best. Dental bonding involves the use of a tooth-colored resin that is painted onto the surface of your teeth. The bonding material can mask flaws from view while also building out your tooth structure. In addition to addressing minor spacing problems, dental bonding is also a good treatment for stains, chips, and cracks.
Porcelain Veneers for Serious Yet Aesthetic Tooth Misalignment
When dental bonding isn't considered a good option for tooth misalignment that is predominantly aesthetic in nature, your ideal option is the use of porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are thin shells of dental ceramic that are affixed to the fronts of the teeth. When in place, porcelain veneers are able to conceal various kinds of dental flaws while also appearing completely natural. Porcelain veneers are also a good option for chips, cracks, major stains, gaps, and issues with tooth size, shape, or symmetry.
Orthodontic Treatment to Improve Overall Dental Alignment
When your tooth misalignment is significant and requires correction in order to improve overall dental wellness, that's when orthodontic care is considered an ideal treatment option. The use of braces or an alternative to braces can greatly improve the look and overall health of your smile. Careful pressure and tension will be applied in order to reposition your teeth.
Is There an Ideal Age for Orthodontic Treatment?
In general, orthodontic treatment is easiest to carry out when patients are younger, particularly the teenage years. At a young age, a patient is still growing and the shape of the dental arch and overall tooth position can be modified easier. That said, great results are possible thanks to adult orthodontics.
Schedule a Consultation at South Ogden Smiles
For more information about your many options available for improving the alignment of your smile, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. The team at South Ogden Smiles looks forward to your visit and helping you achieve optimal dental health.
