Are you living with crooked, overcrowded, chipped, or broken teeth? Maybe you are unhappy with the smile you see in the mirror? If so, you may be considering cosmetic dental procedures to restore your smile. But perhaps you’re unsure of your path because you think that “there’s no reason to fix my teeth except to look better”? This is just not true, however. There are many reasons to correct issues with your smile beyond merely cosmetic ones. You might be surprised to learn that some issues that seem cosmetic actually affect your oral health and even your overall health.
Dr. Frederick Marra of Capital Region Complete Dental Care & Implants is an experienced dentist in Cohoes, NY who can help restore and preserve your smile. Learn more about the important reasons to fix dental problems from Dr. Marra and his team below.
Reduce Your Risk of Gum Disease
Overcrowded or crooked teeth can be uncomfortable and lead to more serious dental and health issues if left untreated. Your teeth can gradually shift in your mouth, growing into each other. This slow collision cause cracks or fractures and eventually lead to infections, unevenly worn teeth and even loss of a tooth or teeth.
Crooked, chipped, or broken teeth are also difficult to clean properly. This can cause plaque to build up between teeth and along the gum line where it will erode tooth enamel. Your gums can become irritated and inflamed by tartar — hardened plaque — forming at the gum line. This causes them to pull away from your teeth, making them unstable. They may even become loose and eventually they may even fall out. Finally, progressive gum disease is linked to an increased risk of systemic health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
Ensure Your Teeth Wear Evenly
If teeth are not aligned properly, your bite can become uneven, causing teeth to wear unevenly. This can lead to premature tooth decay and pain. Common causes of an uneven bite are overbite, underbite, a jaw injury, crooked or missing teeth, or even an uneven crown or molding fit.
Excess tooth wear can lead to several more serious dental health concerns because teeth can be worn down past the outer, hard enamel to the softer, more sensitive layers beneath, called the dentin. Dentin erodes even faster than enamel and is painful if damaged. If left untreated, an uneven bite can cause teeth to be worn down to their stumps. At that point, bridges, crowns, root canals, implants and even dentures may be necessary to restore the tooth.
Improve Overall Health
Studies have shown that gum disease leads to an increased risk of serious somatic health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and even Alzheimer’s. An uneven bite, fractured or overcrowded teeth, or broken teeth can lead to gum disease merely due to the fact that they are more difficult to brush and floss properly. Therefore, what seems like “just” a cosmetic problem can actually be the difference between being healthy and having all kinds of issues..
Improve Your Smile in Cohoes, NY
Dr. Frederick Marra is an experienced dentist who offers many different types of conservative, effective treatments to fit your needs. Call (518) 650-1930 or schedule a consultation online with Capital Region Complete Dental Care & Implants in Cohoes, NY today to keep your smile healthy and your confidence high!