Close up of dentist hand using dental forceps

Are Dental Braces Worth It?

Like everything else, braces have their pros and cons; it fixes your dental issues, but they’ll have to stay in place for years.
Teeth braces may also seem expensive, but their benefits far outweigh their cost. Braces could soon be one of the best investments you make for your self-confidence and oral health.

What Are Braces For?

Orthodontists use braces to help correct problems with your teeth like crowding, crookedness, or misalignment. Many people get dental braces while they’re teenagers, but nowadays, adults get them too.

Braces slowly straighten and align your teeth by adjusting their spacing to align your teeth and fix their overcrowding.

Why Orthodontic Braces Are Worth the Trouble

Dental braces improve your oral health in many ways. They are durable and last longer with proper maintenance and care. Aside from offering you a beautiful smile, they also help you live a happier and healthier life.

Braces for your teeth are worth the trouble because they:

1. Straighten Teeth

This is the most common answer to the question, “What are braces for?”

Most patients visit an orthodontist’s office because they want to straighten their teeth. Straight teeth are pleasing to the eye and give anyone a boost in confidence.

Straight teeth also have many health benefits. Straight smiles are healthy and have a lower chance of developing dental decay or gum diseases. Crooked teeth trap food and other particles and bacteria in hidden cracks or crevices.

2. Prevent Oral Health Issues

Overcrowded teeth and gaps in between teeth create hard-to-reach areas in your mouth that are difficult to clean. Braces lessen these gaps and reduce overcrowding, making your teeth easier to clean and maintain.

Braces also improve dental hygiene. Braces are additional areas to clean, making it necessary for people with braces to work harder to keep their mouths clean.

Additionally, it helps patients make more positive dietary changes. People with braces tend to avoid popcorn, toffee, and other sticky sweets because these make braces more difficult to clean. These sweets also increase the risk of damaging them.

3. Reduce Risk of Damaged Teeth

Ideally, our teeth should have even spacing to distribute the force of biting and chewing evenly. People with misaligned or overlapping teeth do not have their biting or chewing force evenly distributed, which applies too much force on one tooth and increases its chances of breaking or cracking. This is also true for protruding teeth.

Braces help prevent or reduce these problems by aligning teeth properly, which evenly distributes bite force and makes teeth stronger against breaking or cracking.

4. Improve Digestion

People with misaligned bites might have difficulty chewing their food caused by their bad bites or pain while chewing. This keeps food from being broken up properly, making it difficult for the stomach to digest.

Dental braces can help straighten your teeth and allow you to chew food more efficiently. It also helps your stomach have an easier time fully digesting your food.

5. Help With Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by breathing pattern disruptions during sleep, which leads to serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure or heart disease.

Misaligned teeth may contribute to the reduction of airway size, one of the causes of sleep apnea. Correcting them with braces may help.

6. Boost Self-Esteem

Regaining confidence and boosting self-esteem is another reason for you to consider orthodontic braces. People’s concerns about their teeth often cause them embarrassment and lower their opinion about themselves. They tend to develop habits like covering or hiding their mouth like averting eye contact, smiling without showing their teeth, or talking while looking at the ground or covering their mouth.

In meeting new people or in jobs where you constantly face people, you’ll want to have the confidence to connect with people better.

7. Improve Gum Health

Gum disease prevention is one of the long-term health benefits of dental braces. Gum disease is an infection of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth; it has two categories: gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Gingivitis is a condition that causes bleeding gums and bad breath. However, it isn’t always a serious problem. On the other hand, periodontitis is a more severe condition that causes bone and gum erosion.

Issues in tooth alignment often result in these conditions, making it easier for bacteria to grow on the gum line. Dental braces correct the misalignment and make teeth easier to clean, improving gum health.

8. Enhance Speech

Sometimes, misaligned teeth cause speech problems. The location of your teeth affects the way you pronounce words or make sounds, affecting your ability to communicate or speak clearly. Inconsistent spacing between teeth creates gaps and misplaces the tongue, leading to a lisp. Speech problems also affect self-esteem and prevent people from interacting with other people.

Dental braces can correct these spacing problems, which enhance speech and help improve self-esteem.

9. Prevents Bone Erosion

Misaligned teeth are a common cause of jawbone erosion. They place extra pressure on the gums and teeth, damaging teeth and creating spaces for bacteria to hide in and eventually reach your bones.

Once bacteria gets to your jawbone, they can erode it and wear it down.

Orthodontists can prevent tooth erosion by using braces. They ensure your jawbone is well exercised, and there are no places for bacteria and plaque to hide.

Why Some People Don’t Like Braces

If you feel braces are for you, it’s also good to know about why some people prefer not to get them. However, don’t let these issues stop you from getting braces; their health benefits will always make you feel they’re worth it.

Some reasons why some people don’t like braces are:

1. Long Treatment Time

The average treatment time for dental braces takes around two years, depending on how much work is required. However, it may take longer for adult patients. Adult teeth are no longer flexible and have stopped growing, making them difficult to move or mold.
No matter how painful they may be, it is not worth removing braces too soon. They must be kept on until the alignment is permanent.

2. Cost

“How much is a brace going to cost?” is a question you’ll want to answer if you need braces. Their prices may vary greatly, but dental braces cost around $3,000 and $10,000.

Your location, how much adjusting your teeth will need, or how discreet you want your braces to be will influence the cost of your braces. Some dental braces cost more than others; for example, standard metal braces may cost $3000 to $7500, while lingual braces can cost around $13,000.

3. Easily Seen

Sometimes, braces make people more conscious about themselves because of the stigma surrounding braces, making it more difficult to interact with others. Though it should not be the case, this often happens when you get braces. Don’t be discouraged; you’re making your smile better and your teeth healthier.

Depending on the severity of your case, ceramic braces may be an option for you. They’re discreet and help you be more confident during your treatment. Make sure to talk with your orthodontist to discuss all options before making a final decision.

4. Difficult to Clean

Dental braces won’t affect your oral health in any way. However, they present a unique challenge for maintaining your dental health.
All the new dental hardware in your mouth will make it more difficult to keep your teeth, gums, and tongue clean. Braces trap food easier than your teeth; brushing your teeth thoroughly between meals and before going to bed is essential to keep dental problems away.

Aside from cleaning your teeth and gums, you also need to clean the wires and brackets of your dental braces regularly to ensure they stay in good condition. To achieve the best results, you may need to use smaller tools. Your orthodontist can also provide you with tips and tricks you can use every day.

Different Types of Teeth Braces

If you’re still on the fence about getting braces, orthodontists can recommend different types of braces that will suit your needs better.

Traditional Braces

Traditional metal braces are the most popular type of orthodontic brace. They’re made of durable, high-quality stainless steel and efficiently straighten your teeth.

In the past, dental braces were bulky and easy to notice. Thanks to technology, they are now smaller, more comfortable, and more effective to use.

Orthodontists attach metal braces to the teeth and use elastic ties to tie the connecting wire to the brace. These elastic ties come in many colors, allowing patients to choose any color they prefer.

Metal braces are not removable like Invisalign and require special care. Good oral hygiene is essential throughout the treatment.

Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces are made from clear, tooth-colored material. They work the same as metal braces but are less noticeable and more discreet, making them popular for patients who wish to straighten their teeth discreetly but don’t think lingual braces or Invisalign are right for them.

Ceramic braces offer a more affordable option than metal braces. They are also slightly bigger than metal braces. However, these braces do get stains, depending on the patient’s dental hygiene and diet.

Invisalign

It’s evident why Invisalign is popular; they are clear, making them discreet. They are also easier to remove, making them easier to brush and floss. It also allows for fewer and shorter appointments.

Invisalign is great for patients who had teeth braces in the past and need a touch-up. It also works well for patients with mild to moderate dental problems such as misaligned teeth, large overbites, no jaw alignment problems, or gaps between the front teeth.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are the most complex and least common type of brace available. They require different skills few orthodontists take time to master. Lingual braces are not covered in orthodontic training; it’s up to the orthodontist to learn how to apply them expertly.

Lingual braces are an excellent choice for patients who don’t want visible braces but have more complex orthodontic needs. Braces behind the teeth are also becoming more popular among aesthetically-conscious adolescents.

Some patients may experience minor changes in their speech due to lingual braces. These symptoms are common and often present within a few hours of applying the braces. They usually disappear several weeks later when your mouth adjusts to the new appliances.

Achieve Better Oral Health With Braces

Their pros definitely outweigh their cons.

Whether you choose traditional braces or Invisalign, our team at Century Dental will work hard to develop a customized plan to help you improve your smile and oral health.

Braces and dental hygiene are not the only way to have nice teeth. Learn more about other procedures and treatments that make teeth healthier and more beautiful by visiting our dentists in Madeira Beach, FL.

Dr. Abdullah M. Allawnha

Dr. Abdullah M. Allawnha

Dr. Allawnha, born in New Orleans and raised in Windsor, Canada, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor. He worked as an ER nurse in Detroit, Michigan, before moving to Morgantown, West Virginia, to become a dentist. He completed his Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from West Virginia University School of Dentistry while still working as a nurse until he graduated.

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