Dental care is its own kind of medical care that impacts every system in the body. When teeth are out of alignment, when you have infections, and when your jaw is too narrow, it can cause big health challenges. There are many ways to address these concerns. From learning proper tongue posture to getting reconstructive surgery, taking care of your dental health will transform your life. Let’s explore some options you’ve heard about and some that may be new to you.
Invisible Braces Give You More Options
Traditional braces with brackets, wires and frequent orthodontic visits can be disruptive, uncomfortable, and embarrassing, especially for teens and adults. Invisible braces are a great alternative. They take a gentler approach to moving teeth into alignment without worrying about metal wires cutting into your cheeks. Using advanced technology, orthodontists create custom fit appliances that you use in succession to get your desired results.
Clear aligners make eating and brushing teeth much easier because they can be removed more easily. Patients like that maintenance is so simple. All they need to have on hand is a toothbrush and a protective case for Invisalign and other similar aligners when they are away from home. They don’t need to worry about breaking wires on accident, keeping specialized floss for getting in between wires and brackets, and there are fewer visits to the orthodontist.
Dental Reconstruction for Major Functional Issues
Reconstructive services have come a long way in dentistry. It’s not just about having a pretty smile. Reconstruction often addresses concerns like jaw pain, airway issues, and even headaches. By utilizing implants, jaw surgery, bridges, or full-on mouth rehab, dental surgeons can help people get better function and boost confidence.
Things like missing teeth and a crooked smile can impact people’s self-esteem. By addressing these concerns, people feel less self-conscious, and ultimately feel better about themselves.
Myofunctional Therapy Offers a New Way to Shape Jaw Growth
Did you know that your tongue posture in your mouth impacts your overall jaw development starting at an early age? Unfortunately, modern diets filled with soft foods, and some genetic mutations can inhibit this growth. By pairing myofunctional therapy with other orthodontic treatments, patients can experience results that last longer than the braces or expanders.
Myofunctional therapy addresses poor habits like mouth breathing and even poor muscle tone in the tongue. When the tongue rests in a better position on the upper palate, it helps to support and promote proper jaw growth. This often leads to better sleep, reduction in ADHD symptoms, and even better memory, focus and mental clarity.
Tongue Tie Releases Give Back Movement
Restricted tongue movement causes a cascade of problems. When your tongue can’t move properly, it makes it hard to talk, swallow, and breathe well. This creates problems with jaw development, often leading to high narrow arches, crooked teeth, and more. While most people might have heard about infant tie releases, even fully grown adults can benefit from one if needed. When paired with myofunctional therapy or oral expansion, it can offer even more benefits. When the tongue is unrestricted, you can experience better sleep and more energy to do the things you love.
Cosmetic Dentistry Enhances Your Natural Looks
Many people have a need for cosmetic dentistry due to poor genetics, nutritional deficiencies, and even mouth injuries. With cosmetic dental approaches, you can improve things like the color, shape, and the overall symmetry of people’s smiles. It’s not meant to make people look like someone else, but instead the best version of themselves.
Options in the cosmetic space include something as simple as professional whitening and deep cleaning all the way up to veneers and contouring. Even the smallest changes can help someone feel more comfortable and confident at work, with friends, and in relationships.
Airway Focused Dentistry
Traditional approaches to dental care include regular checkups, teeth fillings, and brushing and flossing. Airway dentistry may include all those things, but they also look at root causes and how oral health challenges are impacting the airway. People with airway issues are more prone to sleep apnea, mouth breathing, cavities, and other dental problems.
By addressing the root causes of narrow airways, dentists can help patients have better overall health. Some signs you might need an airway dentist include having a high palate arch, snoring, tongue ties, and multiple wakeups overnight. By recognizing the importance of proper airway health, especially during sleep, dentists can be at the forefront of whole-body wellness.
