You might be living with crooked, overcrowded, chipped, or broken teeth that make you feel self-conscious about your smile. Maybe you’ve considered restoring your smile with cosmetic dental procedures but you just can’t justify the expense, time or discomfort. You might think, “There’s no reason to fix my teeth except to look better.”
However, there are serious reasons to repair your teeth beyond merely cosmetic ones. Some issues that seem purely cosmetic can actually affect your oral health and even your health overall.
Dr. Leonard Hess is an experienced dentist in Charlotte, NC who can help restore and preserve your smile. Learn more about the important reasons to fix dental problems from Dr. Hess and his team below.
Reduce Your Risk of Gum Disease
Overcrowded or crooked teeth can lead to painful problems. Teeth can shift in your mouth and may become overcrowded if there’s no room for them to continue moving. Once teeth have moved too close together, they can crack or fracture. These fractures can bring pain and, if left untreated, eventually infection.
Crowded, crooked, chipped, or broken teeth are also challenging to clean. If teeth are not cleaned properly, plaque will form between them and along the gum line and begin to eat away at tooth enamel. Also, your bacteria that feed on plaque can cause your gums to become infected and inflamed, drawing away from your teeth and causing them to be less stable. Additionally, gum disease is linked to a higher risk of systemic health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
Ensure Your Teeth Wear Evenly
If teeth are crooked and your bite is not even, over time they will wear unevenly and cause premature tooth decay or pain. Excessive tooth wear can lead to other more serious dental health concerns because tooth enamel can be worn away until the more sensitive layer beneath — called the dentin — is exposed.
Dentin erodes even faster than enamel once it’s exposed. If this issue is left untreated, a person’s teeth can be worn down to their stumps, meaning that bridges, crowns, root canals, implants and even dentures may be necessary to resolve the issue.
Improve Overall Health
Gum disease is linked to and increased risk of systemic health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and even Alzheimer’s Disease. An uneven bite, fractured or overcrowded teeth, or even missing teeth can easily lead to gum disease simply because they are more difficult to clean properly. Correcting what seems like a cosmetic problem can actually help your body stay healthy.
Improve Your Smile in Charlotte, NC
Dr. Leonard Hess is an experienced dentist who offers many different types of conservative yet effective treatments to fit your dental needs. Schedule a consultation with our Charlotte office today to keep your smile healthy and your confidence high!