You can probably ask anyone who has had braces, they felt one of the major if not only benefit of the braces was to have a prettier smile, line up those pearly whites so that you have a Hollywood Smile. But at Southern California Dental Health Associates we feel there are so many more benefits that we need to share them with you.
In the vast majority of cases when teeth are crowded it makes it much harder to keep the teeth clean. This means you are already at a greater risk of having gum disease. Gum disease is chronic inflammation which is a top risk factor for diseases such as heart disease, type two diabetes and some types of cancer just to name a few.
One of the other areas that we are concerned about in our office is the function of your teeth. Our goal is to allow your teeth to wear down at the slowest rate possible, given that you will function on them for the rest of your life. Many times a poor alignment of one’s teeth will cause for increased wear and tear on their teeth. Sometimes people grind and clench their teeth which cause increased wear and tear. While neither of these can cause gum disease, if you do develop gum disease these issues can also cause an increased severity of the gum disease. Furthermore a poor function can limit how much you might heal from treatment of gum disease. There are many studies that show you have to minimize any poor function if you want the best healing from treatment of gum disease.
Chronic headaches may also be a function of a poor bite and alignment. While a night guard or botox (which we offer in our office) can be of help, they are really just band aids of the symptoms and do not treat the cause. Orthodontic treatment is often the treatment of choice to help minimize if not eliminate these issues.
And why is out office so well suited to help treat these issues. One, we care and do a comprehensive exam and check for the function of your teeth. In addition, Dr. Goldman’s expertise in both the bite (function) , TMJ and tooth alignment issues allow for most treatment to take place under one roof. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call our office at 323-934-3341