It is Never Too Late to Straighten Your Teeth

If your dentist has ever asked you about cosmetic procedures, you might have shrugged off these suggestions as purely aesthetic procedures. Think again: cosmetic dental procedures can prevent a multitude of other health problems; here are three examples.

Diabetes

Over 18 million Americans have diabetes. Diabetes affects how your body processes and uses the sugar that you eat. If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not create enough of the hormone insulin to process and use glucose. If you have type 2 diabetes, your body is unable to use the insulin that it makes.

If you have diabetes, you are more likely to develop periodontal disease. Not only that, but poor oral health habits can interfere with your ability to manage your diabetes. Your body's inability to decrease high blood sugar levels increases your gum's susceptibility to infection.

If you have diabetes, consider flap surgery or a gum lift. In these two procedures, a periodontist reshapes your gums; these procedures not only enhance your smile, but also make it easier for you to keep up a hygienic at-home cleaning routine. If you already have cavities or periodontal disease, also consider composite fillings, especially for your back teeth. Composite fillings repair decay and strengthen your weakened teeth.

Heart Disease

Here in the United states, heart disease is the leading cause of death. If you are already genetically predisposed to developing heart disease, you increase your risk of suffering from a stroke, heart attack, blood clot, or hardened arteries if you also have misaligned teeth.

When your teeth are crooked or misaligned, your oral health suffers because you cannot as easily clean between your crooked teeth. This challenge poses a particularly dangerous problem for people prone to heart disease because a certain type of bacteria that develops between crooked teeth significantly increases your risk factors.

Thus, if you have an increased risk of developing heart disease, ask your dentist about braces. By straightening your teeth, you are doing more than just improving your mouth's appearance--you are significantly increasing your ability to fight heart disease.

Bone Density Loss

If you lose a few teeth over the course of your lifetime, you might think that replacing them is little more than an aesthetic procedure. Actually, leaving gaps where your missing teeth once were can cause your jawbone to become weakened.

Because you are no longer putting pressure on your jawbone in the places where you are missing teeth, your jawbone loses density and strength. Your missing teeth put stress on it, which forced it to remain strong. Without this pressure, over time your jawbone will become so weakened that your ability to chew and speak properly will be compromised.

Have your dentist replace your missing teeth with implants or a bridge. This way, you are still applying pressure on your jawbone and starving off unnecessary bone loss.

If you have other dental concerns, talk to a dental clinic like Wallington Dental for more information.