Contrary to the notion, braces are not just required for a straight profile and a visually appealing smile. The science behind the braces goes way beyond looks and self-esteem. It is crucial for most dental problems, including maintaining healthy gingiva and good oral hygiene, to prevent trauma and improve the oral cavity's overall health. 

There might sometimes be; your dentists will advise you to braces despite having a symmetrical smile. The reasons can be many, and it's essential to know why getting braces is one solution that might fit all. 

How Can Braces Help

Braces can help fix a lot of your dental issues. Some of them are 

1. Prevention of Dental Caries

You might not know how the dental anatomy works, but it is crucial to know whether you can clean your teeth properly. Caries due to crowding or mal-alignment are one of the most common reasons why one needs braces. The nooks and crooks between teeth are always difficult to clean, resulting in bacteria and plaque buildup, causing caries. 

A proper alignment will allow you to clean your teeth easily hence preventing dental caries. 

2. Spacing 

If you see gaps between your teeth, you are a perfect candidate for braces. The spacing can be due to either missing teeth or due to the size of the teeth, which is proportionally tiny as compared to the rest of your mouth. Getting braces to correct spacing is more of a cosmetic treatment. However, it has also to do with the maintenance of good oral hygiene. 

3. Underbite or Overbite

Do your bottom teeth sometimes bite into the roof of your mouth or completely disappear when you bite? Or do your lower teeth overlaps with the upper teeth when you smile? If your answer is yes, you have an issue with your bite. How we tend to bite on food or in an everyday situation has a lot to do with our alignment and oral health. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to severe trauma to the gums and surrounding bone. They can also be detrimental during eating, speaking and doing everyday activities, including sports. 

4. Crowding 

Overlapping teeth or crowding is the most common cause of getting the braces. If it looks like there isn't enough room for all your teeth in the oral cavity, then you need to get braces. Crowdings are dealt with the extractions to make space for the remaining teeth. It also helps in the maintenance of alignment and to prevent decay and caries in the long run. 

5. Speech Improvement 

Did you know that disproportionate teeth can have an impact on the way we sound? Crowdings or mal-alignment can sometimes make it difficult for the patient to pronounce certain words. Having straightened teeth can also significantly improve the way one speaks. 

6. Helps With Digestion 

Your mal-aligned teeth might be the culprit behind your stomach problem. Yes, you read that right! If your teeth are not correctly aligned, your mouth can't chew food into tiny pieces. The stomach has an easier time digesting teeny tiny bits of food than large chunks of it.

With the help of braces, you can eat and digest food properly, preventing problems in the long run.

While there might be many benefits of getting the braces, it is still best decided by the dentist if you are the perfect candidate for getting them. While braces can do wonders for the teeth, they are sometimes costly and high maintenance.