The Health Benefits of Central Florida Braces

In our field, orthodontists focus on the tangible aspects of patients’ smiles. Our specialty concerns straightening misaligned teeth and correcting malocclusions (incorrect bites). Straight teeth can keep your teeth healthy and protect your gums from disease. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other health problems. At Best Smiles Orthodontics, we look at the physical aspects of these problems and educate our patients about the health benefits of braces and the confidence that comes from a healthy beautiful smile.

At the same time, Dr. Adam Best is aware of the psychological impact of what we do for our patients. Even though orthodontics improves oral health, it also improves mental health and well-being in a number of ways:

Self-Confidence

We’ve begun working with patients in the Central Florida area with crooked teeth who are clearly shy about how they look. They tell us they try not to show their teeth when they smile for photos, and sometimes they cover their mouths with their hands when they talk. It’s so wonderful when they’re done with treatment to see how their attitude has improved. But these benefits are not just anecdotal. According to studies, young people who have completed orthodontic treatment show higher emotional and social well-being than their peers who never had treatment.

Social Acceptance

Orthodontics make people’s smiles more attractive, and it’s human nature to respond positively to attractiveness.  Beyond that, Central Florida braces can help in other ways. For example, crooked teeth can trap food in hard-to-reach places and result in bad breath, so straight teeth can eliminate other issues that may impact someone’s comfort in social settings.

Less Frustration

If you have or once had a misaligned bite, you know that malocclusions can make the everyday functioning of your mouth annoying. When your teeth don’t meet up as they should, it can be hard to bite into food, and you might have to compensate by biting with other parts of your mouth. Your misaligned teeth may also cause a speech impediment. Plus, it’s harder and more time consuming to clean crooked teeth as opposed to straight teeth.

Improved Concentration

The benefit of improved concentration is primarily for those patients whose dental problems are not just annoying but are in fact painful. Jutting teeth can sometimes stick into the insides of cheeks or scrape against the tongue, and the pain can be even worse when the problems result in ongoing blisters or bleeding. Dr. Best knows chronic pain can be very distracting. Central Florida braces can help to take care of these issues and alleviate pain.

More Maturity

When you’re a baby or toddler, you live in the now and have little awareness of the benefits of delayed gratification. This awareness improves as people get older, but teenagers’ decisions still tend to be short-sighted, according to child development experts. The process of getting Central Florida braces and the very tangible rewards at the end help exhibit firsthand the benefits of delayed gratification.

So while orthodontists may not have expertise in psychology or counseling, the health benefits of braces can still can have quite a bit of influence on their patients’ emotional happiness. If your smile is interfering with your self-confidence, concentration, or pain levels, give our Central Florida orthodontist a call today. We’d be happy to discuss your treatment options during a free orthodontic consultation!