Teeth Misalignment is a bigger health hazard than you think

Contrary to popular belief, teeth alignment is not just for aesthetic purpose or just to make clients look good that dentists prescribes braces and invisalign. In the Philippines, oral health can be a real danger to overall wellness of an individual, especially among kids. But the truth is that the teeth won’t be able to perform vital functions if they’re misaligned. If left untreated, misaligned teeth can be a real issue and affect your overall oral and digestive health. What’s more alarming is that most of the Filipino doesn’t consider oral health as a priority. Only 7 out of 10 Filipinos have been to dentist and an alarming 87% suffer from tooth decay. Another growing issue on oral health in the country is the lack of oral care among the youth. Surprisingly, 98% of children aged three to five have dental caries or cavities.

A healthy set of teeth is a representation of good hygiene. And brushing alone cannot guarantee healthy teeth. That is why once in a while we must seek advices from our dentist for treatments that will help maintain our dental condition. But there are cases in which, misalignment problem that can lead to serious oral health complications.

Malocclusion is the imperfect positioning of the teeth when the jaws are closed. Edward Angle, who is considered the father of modern orthodontics, was the first to classify malocclusion. He based his classifications on the relative position of the permanent maxillary first molar. Angle believed that the anteroposterior dental base relationship could be assessed reliably from first permanent molar relationship, as its position remained constant following eruption. In case where the first molars were missing, canine relationship is used.

Malocclusion can is also as crowded teeth, cross bite, overbite, under bite and open bite. But there are slight differences among these terms as they are caused by different factors. Overbites for example often hereditary, but they also stem from poor childhood oral habits, such as nail biting, tongue thrusting, and prolonged thumb-sucking or pacifier use. Modern research has shown that crowded teeth, incorrect jaw development and other orthodontic problems are not caused by big teeth in small jaws or hereditary factors. Mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, reverse-swallowing and thumb sucking are the real causes. Crooked teeth are often a part of your genetic makeup -- you inherit crooked teeth just like you inherit your eye color or the shape of your nose. Crooked teeth can also result from overcrowding.

Most people with mild malocclusion will not require any treatment. However, a dentist may refer you to an orthodontist if your malocclusion is severe. Depending on your type of malocclusion, your orthodontist may recommend braces to correct the position of the teeth; removal of teeth to correct overcrowding; reshaping, bonding, or capping of teeth; surgery to reshape or shorten the jaw; or wires or plates to stabilize the jaw bone.

Oral health is not an issue that shouldn’t be neglected. With proper care and the help from a professional, you may be able to avoid more serious health issue. And isn’t it more easier to smile knowing that you are healthy?