Misaligned teeth are among the most common issues that affect a person’s smile. Their effects will go far beyond your smile. They will make it hard for you to clean your teeth and predispose you to severe dental conditions. You might assume that genetics is the only thing that will determine the alignment of your teeth. Therefore, you might think that all you need is dental treatments for crooked teeth to get a perfect smile.
Treatment with dental braces in Singapore and other countries is the most common and useful choice for straightening misaligned teeth and closing small gaps. Thankfully, nowadays, invisible braces can even straighten your teeth discreetly. Even so, the braces will not do much for you without an understanding of the other issues that affect your dental alignment. The most common of these are bad habits that place considerable pressure on your teeth and move them out of their proper alignment. Here are some of these habits.
Bruxism
The grinding of the teeth characterizes this condition. Most people will grind their teeth while asleep, but others do so when awake when they are stressed. The habit is not only irritating to those around you but will cause small fractures in your teeth. The teeth will also shift away from the points of pressure. In doing so, previously straight teeth will be misaligned, and you might have gaps between them. A mouthguard is an ideal solution for the protection of your teeth in bruxism. There are also psychotherapy options for managing stressful situations that might cause daytime grinding.
Thumb Sucking
This habit is common in kids but will, at times, persist into adolescence. Kids who suck their thumbs past six years of age will also set the stage for the crooked growth of permanent teeth. This is because the habit pushes the upper teeth forward to generate the gratification most people will be looking for in it. Thumb sucking also contributes to open and overbites that, consequently, cause the teeth to shift, so they fill the spaces left.
Stomach Sleeping
Some people think that sleeping on their stomachs is their most comfortable sleeping position. While this might be so, research has shown that this position will place considerable pressure on your jaws and teeth for prolonged periods. This pressure will, in turn, cause the shifting of your teeth, albeit in small degrees. Over time, however, these small shifts will result in crooked teeth and large gaps.
Slouching
While most people will slouch backward and place considerable pressure on the spine, others slump forward and put their weight on the chin. This position will misalign the teeth because of the pressure placed on the jaws. Slouching forwards also causes jaw pain and constant headaches.
Few people will associate the habits mentioned above with their crooked teeth. To this end, they will continue the practices even when undergoing the straightening of their teeth with braces. Doing this will only contribute to failed treatment and make your braces uncomfortable. In dental care nowadays, there are different approaches used to manage these habits and guarantee perfectly straight teeth. One has to know which is compatible with the teeth condition they have.
