Did you know there are many health benefits to having a straight smile? Straight teeth don’t just look great, they actually help keep you healthier! Let’s take a closer look!

Teeth that don’t fit well together can wear down over time. As you chew, talk, and sleep your teeth grind against each other, looking for a better fit. As they grind, your teeth wear each other down. Additionally, high-points where teeth touch first are more likely to wear down quickly as they take the full force of your bite in that one spot. When your teeth are properly spaced and fit the way they were intended, it prolongs the life of your smile.

Your teeth are designed to have a little bit of contact with the teeth on either side, but not too much. When your teeth are crooked you end up with gaps in some places, and wedged, too-tight teeth in other places. Food can easily linger in gaps where there is no contact to keep it out. Additionally, food chewed aggressively, especially stringy meat or vegetables, can get stuck in tight spots. This makes it difficult to clean your teeth effectively. A straight smile is easier to clean because the teeth naturally keep out food bits better. When you do get food stuck, the slight but not too tight contacts are easy to floss clean.

The natural result of teeth being difficult to clean (see previous point) is that the gums become inflamed and diseased. Bacteria from food and the air gets trapped in spots where you haven’t been able to clean well, growing and damaging the gum tissue.