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Orthosnap clear aligners do more than just give patients a beautiful smile. While the majority of patients seek orthodontic treatment for cosmetic reasons, it is important to help your patients understand the health benefits as well.
Each time you complete a comprehensive or periodic exam, evaluate your patient's occlusion, spacing, and alignment. If you notice any issues, discuss them with your patient. Help them understand the many health benefits of orthodontic treatment that go beyond aesthetics.
When you educate them, they may be more likely to agree to orthodontic treatment.
Long-Term Benefits of Correcting Malocclusion
There are numerous health benefits of having a good bite and straight teeth.
A misaligned bite, such as a crossbite, overbite, or underbite, makes chewing food more difficult. An aligned bite allows the teeth to chew the way they are meant to.
Correcting malocclusion allows for better oral hygiene. Crooked, crowded teeth collect and hold onto food debris much more than straight teeth do. Also, they are much harder to brush and floss properly. Improved oral hygiene reduces the risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss.
A misaligned bite can affect speech and proper tongue and lip function, which can result in speech impediments. Correcting this allows patients to speak appropriately.
Misalignment can put added pressure on adjacent teeth or cause the teeth to hit or rest on each other in odd places. This can cause damage, including fractured teeth and enamel wear.
With an overbite, the upper front teeth may hit the gum line of the lower teeth, or the lower teeth can strike the gum line behind the upper teeth. This can damage the gums and lead to gum disease, gum recession, and tooth loss.
When the upper and lower teeth are not aligned properly, the patient is at a higher risk for headaches and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). Correcting the bite can prevent headaches and TMD and reduce the pain and muscle strain when TMD is already present.
Patients with malocclusion are at a higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea, especially those with a small mouth and an overbite.
Other added benefits of correcting malocclusion include improved jaw joint function and alveolar bone health.
Common Malocclusions Orthosnap Clear Aligners Can Correct
Crooked, rotated, and extruded teeth
Too many teeth for an allotted space in the mouth causing crowded teeth
Gaps between the teeth
Misplaced midlines, when the center of the lower front teeth does not line up with the center of the upper front teeth
If the upper teeth cover the lower teeth excessively when the patient bites down, causing an overbite—sometimes also called a deep bite
When the upper teeth are too far back, or the lower teeth are too far forward, causing an underbite
If the lower and upper teeth don’t line up while biting down, causing a crossbite
When the back teeth bite together, but a gap remains between the surfaces of the side or front teeth, causing an open bite
If the front upper teeth excessively stick out, causing an overjet. This is sometimes called buck teeth
Related Topics and Information:
Click to learn more about Osteoclastic/Osteoblastic Activity and Common Tooth Movements.
If you have questions or need to speak with someone at Orthosnap, please reach out to us at support@orthosnap.com.