Pearly white and properly aligned, straight teeth have become an imperative in the past few decades. As medical experts claim, a great set of choppers can help not only in your career and job hunt, but also in the romance and even friendship departments. When you have an amazing smile, you are instantly perceived as more beautiful, but beyond that, even more trustworthy and even intelligent. The tables have turned to such an extent that an article in the New York Magazine found that ‘38 percent of Americans would rule out a second date with someone with misaligned teeth, and those with straight teeth are 38 percent more likely to be perceived as smart.’ So, if you’re looking in the mirror right now and wondering if perhaps it’s time to consider braces, we have prepared a set of telltale signs that will determine once and for all whether you need them or not.
Too many teeth, too little space
A condition known as crowding is described as a state in which there isn’t enough ‘room’ for your teeth to grow straight. The teeth subsequently ‘crowd’ each other, which results in a crooked smile and teeth which are essentially on top of each other. This usually occurs at a young age, and it only tends to get worse as you grow up. It can get so bad that even something as simple as brushing, let alone flossing becomes a challenge. This is exactly why, according to the aforementioned article, the dentist’s office is full of people of all ages, but especially teenagers who don’t want to go off to high school or college with a crooked smile. Americans have become obsessed with the state of their teeth in recent years, and it’s high time, because as we have come to know, they do play a major role in every aspect in our lives.
Not as bad, but still
An overbite is a condition which describes a horizontal and vertical overlap of your front teeth. This essentially means that, when your mouth is closed, your front teeth ‘go over’ the lower teeth. Aesthetically speaking, this isn’t as bad as the crowding condition and you can still have a fairly great smile in spite of it. However, you should definitely consider braces and for numerous health reasons. First of all, your front teeth are at risk of enduring trauma as they do significantly stick out. Secondly, it will be much easier to properly chew your food once the overbite issue is dealt with, and finally, your lower teeth, constantly bumping into the upper can cause damage to the latter, which will eventually lead to a number of other procedures. There are also similar conditions such as the crossbite and underbite. So, in order to avoid all that, pay a visit to your orthodontist and see what the best option is. Australians, along with Americans, are known for their obsession with the perfect smile, but make no mistake, not all of it is due to great genes. Traditional braces are huge in the Land Down Under, as well as more innovative approaches to teeth alignment such as the Invisalign treatment. This is why a great number of Aussies flock to a trusty orthodontist and all other cities across the country, so we might as well follow suit, find our own amazing orthodontist and flash those pearly whites just like Aussies do.
The once charming one
One of Madonna’s signatures is her gap teeth. Some people pull them off really well – they own them, and over time, they become a sort of a trademark. However, most people simply don’t look good and crave a straight smile with no gaps. Now, aesthetics aside, there are actual ‘logistic’ health issues that come with gap teeth and they include the possibility of developing a lisp, and more than that, when your teeth are wide apart, it can cause a great deal of difficulty when chewing. So, for the sake of proper food chewing, a great smile and a lack of a speech impediment – consider braces, and consider them seriously.
Yes, we tend to greatly underestimate the appearance of our teeth, the role they play in our everyday life as well as some serious health issues that can arise as a consequence of improper teeth care. So, don’t just use them until they are no longer useful. Preserve your beautiful choppers and make them even more beautiful. After all, why do we have all these medical advancements if we’re not going to take advantage of them?