Most children don’t like seeing a dentist or an orthodontist, and that often stretches into adulthood. It’s easy to think that your minor tooth issues aren’t a problem until things change. One day you’re smiling crooked and the next, a tooth breaks.
Visiting a San Jose Orthodontist is one of the best choices you can make if you care about your teeth and your smile. A family orthodontist can set you up with the right care, whether you’re a teen getting braces for the first time or an adult that needs their bite adjusted.
Here are five reasons to visit an orthodontist in San Jose.
1. Prevent Future Problems
The first, and most important, reason to look into orthodontists in San Jose is to get preventative help. People tend to think of family orthodontics as a cosmetic type of dentistry because teens go to them to get braces. However, there’s a lot more to the field than repositioning your teeth.
When crooked teeth are left untreated, you can develop crowding, underbite, breathing problems, and even neck pain.
Crowding is when teeth push in on each other and make it difficult to brush or floss. If you are unable to brush or floss correctly, that can cause tooth decay and even tooth loss. You may end up needing emergency dental care even if you brush morning and night.
An overbite or underbite can result in your teeth hitting each other, potentially leading to damage. Abnormal tooth formation can interfere with your breathing, which can cause snoring or sleep apnea.
If your bite is all wrong, that can lead to strain on the jaw. A strained jaw can cause severe headaches and neck pain.
Seeking orthodontic care is one way to avoid all of these problems from developing later on in life.
2. Improve Your Smile
Smiling is more important than people give it credit. It helps you live longer, elevates your mood, and can actually make you healthier. However, people with crooked or misaligned teeth will do anything they can to avoid showcasing their smile.
A person’s appearance matters in this world, whether they like it or not. Whenever a photo is taken, people expect to see a beautiful smile. On the other side of the spectrum, one of the first things others notice is a bad smile.
Multiple surveys have shown that a beautiful smile makes people appear more intelligent and successful to others. On average, you’ll wear a set of braces for about two years before they can come off. However, you’ll walk away with an improved smile that shows you put in the work to achieve it.
3. Correct Your Bite
A person’s bite is dictated by their genetics, lifestyle, childhood habits, and other factors. There are so many different things that can affect the way your teeth behave and result in a misaligned bite.
Occlusion refers to the alignment of your bite, and a crooked one is called malocclusion. There are three classes of malocclusions that range from a slight overlap to a severe underbite. A San Jose orthodontist can correct your bite through a combination of braces, retainers, and surgery if necessary.
If you don’t pursue treatment for malocclusions, you can develop problems with biting and chewing, speech problems, and teeth grinding.
Teeth grinding is when your teeth rub against and wear away each other. Left untreated, you could develop jaw pain and increased tooth sensitivity. At worst, your teeth may break.
4. Diverse Treatment Options
You don’t have to worry about getting metallic braces when you visit Boschken Orthodontics, a San Jose orthodontist. They’re no longer the only treatment option available, and there are ways to fix your teeth without showcasing them to the world.
One of the newer options is Invisalign. Invisalign uses a series of clear aligners custom-molded to your mouth. They work like retainers that are clear and more durable.
Invisalign aligners move teeth gradually over time without straining them or requiring any kind of special installation. You also don’t have to deal with wires or elastics.
Another great thing about Invisalign is that they come in a variety of options for kids, teens, and adults. Your child will be given a set of aligners to wear every day, and they’ll switch them for a new set every week.
There’s always the option to use braces if you want or need more severe results, such as with a more serious malocclusion.
5. They’re Specialists
It’s easy to think that routine visits to your dentist are enough to keep your teeth and gums looking and feeling their best. However, there’s a big difference between an orthodontist and a family dentist.
First of all, general dentistry largely involves procedures for cleaning your teeth, filling cavities, and applying crowns. It’s largely restorative and cosmetic, but it’s limited. If a general dentist ever notices something more serious such as an infected tooth or severe malocclusion, they’ll refer you to a specialist.
An orthodontist is one of those specialists that focuses on the movement of teeth. You don’t go to one to get a routine cleaning or repair a broken tooth.
Moving teeth is an extremely sensitive procedure, and an orthodontist has received the training required to perform it.
Visit a San Jose Orthodontist Today
You’re never too old to seek dental care and correct your smile. Adults no longer have to settle for braces that may change their appearance. Kids can greatly benefit from seeing a San Jose orthodontist before problems develop.
Boschken Orthodontics provides services for the Los Altos and San Jose areas. We offer Invisalign, metal braces, and other orthodontic treatments. Contact us to learn about your options and to schedule a visit.
