Having a beautiful smile makes us feel happy and confident, and we may look to Clear Aligners to straighten our teeth and properly align our bite. In addition to the obvious cosmetic benefit, there are several health benefits too!  

Straight teeth and a properly aligned bite improve our health in three key areas:

• Teeth 

• Gums

• Jaw

Clear Aligners, when administered by a state-licensed dentist, helps to improve teeth, gum and jaw function. In turn, you will experience improved oral health and overall health. See below for our top 6 health benefits:

#1 Less tooth decay and loss of teeth

Clear Aligner technology is effective at treating a number of orthodontic concerns, including but not limited to teeth crowding and teeth spacing. Crowding makes it easy for food and plaque to get trapped in between our teeth, making it difficult to adequately clean all surfaces of the teeth, even with proper brushing and flossing. Plaque releases acids, which strip your teeth of minerals. Over time, this can cause tooth decay, cavities and even infection. 

#2 Less wear of tooth enamel 

Tooth enamel is the hard outer layer of our teeth that is specifically designed to prevent damage. Tooth enamel cannot be restored, only protected. Misaligned teeth grind over each other resulting in enamel erosion. When our teeth are aligned, chewing is evenly distributed and harmful acids that erode tooth enamel are easily washed away.

#3 Better digestion

Did you know that the mouth is part of our digestive system? Digestion actually begins with that first bite of food. Improper chewing makes it harder for our bodies to break down food because we are producing less digestive enzymes. Proper chewing therefore is an important part of healthy digestion. 

#4 Prevention of jawbone loss

I’d guess that you don’t often think about jaw function and alignment. But nonetheless, jaw anatomy affects a number of things including chewing, speaking, breathing, and facial appearance. When we bite down, a signal is sent to our body that the jaw is being used. The jaw bone can deteriorate when that bone isn’t being stimulated in certain areas –  for instance when we have spacing or missing teeth. Over time, this can cause teeth to loosen and fall out. Once again, tooth alignment is key. Clear Aligners help create optimal spacing and bite, in turn preventing jawbone deterioration.

#5 Less jaw pain 

That jaw pain or tension headache you’ve been waking up with is a horrible way to start your day! Bite problems such as overbite, underbite, crossbite and open bite are likely placing stress on your TMJ and facial muscles, which can cause jaw clicking or popping, persistent tension headaches and pain when opening your mouth. Luckily, Clear Aligners can help with a misaligned bite by straightening underbites, overbites, crossbites, and open bites. 

How can you be certain that clear aligners are for you? 

The only way to know for certain that Clear Aligners are for you is to have an oral exam and  have a licensed professional assess an appropriate treatment plan. Remember, when we talk about teeth straightening and alignment, we are talking about a medical procedure. If you are a good candidate for Clear Aligners, it’s important to have a state-licensed dentist approve the design of your aligners and ensure they fit correctly. They will also check for oral health problems and monitor your progress.