Your appearance is not the only thing that can be negatively affected by crooked teeth. There are many ways your teeth can wreak havoc on your overall health.

Crooked teeth can be genetic or other causes may include early loss of baby teeth, severe facial injury, poor childhood habits, such as tongue thrusting, tooth grinding, thumb sucking and excessive pacifier use.

No matter the cause, crooked teeth can adversely affect your overall health and wellbeing in ways that might never have imagined.

You can easily develop gum disease as if your teeth are not straight as you may find it difficult to brush and floss properly. It is imperative for the health of your whole mouth that your brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day.

With crooked teeth brushing and flossing may be difficult to impossible as the teeth are in the way of each other. Bacteria and plaque can form in these hard to reach areas. You may already be noticing the results of this as you will need to visit your dentist more often, have regular fillings or even need teeth completely removed.

If you have an large amount of plaque and bacteria in your mouth you may also find you experience bad breath which can make you feel very self conscious.

Often people who have crooked teeth experience crowding where teeth often cause one or more to protrude. This can rub against your other teeth and over time, can lead to undue wear of tooth enamel. The result of this may be you must have your teeth removed later in life.

If you experience overcrowding of teeth in your mouth you may also find you get regular headaches and pain around your jawline, neck and even back. You may find it difficult to sleep at night and even begin to grind your teeth.

You are also at a higher risk of damaging your teeth if you are in an accident if your teeth are displaced. Having crooked teeth may also inhibit the ability to chew properly, this can restrict what people can eat and even lead to malnutrition over time.

Finally in serious cases oral infections caused by bacteria buildup may lead to more serious ailments, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and pneumonia. If you feel you are at risk speak to your doctor.

If you have crooked teeth, now is the time to fix your smile, regain your confidence and improve your quality of life. Come in to see me and let’s improve your smile. Contact us today or book an appointment online here.

The impacts of crooked teeth on your health.