Crooked teeth or a misaligned bite aren’t only cosmetic dental concerns. When teeth overlap, they can create tight areas that trap food particles and bacteria that make plaque and tartar easier to hide. 

When your teeth and jaw aren’t aligned, your jaw muscles and TMJ joints have to work harder than they should. This causes an estimated 5 to 10% of people to experience jaw pain and headaches related to chewing. Over time, these small issues can snowball into cavities, gum disease, muscle tension, teeth that wear down faster than they should, and other oral health issues. 

Continue reading to learn how seeing the best orthodontist in Apex can improve your overall oral health and relieve jaw pain and headaches.

Three Ways Getting Braces Lowers Your Risk of Tooth Decay and Other Oral Health Problems

When teeth are crowded or overlap like shingles on a roof, your toothbrush skates over the top but can’t reach food particles stuck in tight spaces. Floss can also snag, shred, or refuse to slide through at all. While there are many benefits to getting orthodontic treatment, these are the top three ways braces and orthodontics help prevent painful and costly dental problems later: 

1. Gum Disease Prevention

Gum disease starts when food particles get trapped around crowded or overlapping teeth. As the food breaks down, bacteria multiply and thrive. This bacterium can find the perfect environment to live in your gumline. Left untreated, this early stage of gum disease, known as gingivitis, can develop into serious periodontal disease. While gingivitis is reversible with deep professional dental cleaning and orthodontics to address the underlying cause, late-stage gum disease is harder to treat. 

Getting braces or Invisalign treatment repositions the teeth so you can brush and floss effectively. This reduces your risk of gum disease and helps ensure you never lose a tooth to periodontal disease. 

2. Reducing or Eliminating Jaw Pain, Tension, and Headaches Caused by TMJ Disorder 

Your jaw muscles and TMJ joint work overtime when your bite is misaligned. That extra effort can lead to pain with chewing, talking, or holding your mouth open at the dentist. Jaw pain can surface in different ways, including: 

• A sharp pinch near your ear when you bite down
• Sore or tired feeling in the jaw muscles 
• Your jaw makes a dull click when you yawn
• A headache that creeps in after a long day of talking 
• Tightness in your cheeks or temples

Our patients often ask, “Will braces fix TMJ?” Orthodontic treatment with traditional metal braces can absolutely help when your pain is tied to bite misalignment, since improving how the teeth meet can reduce uneven pressure. Invisalign is typically not the best treatment for severe misalignment, especially when correcting bite misalignment. Often, additional orthodontic appliances, like a palatal expander, are needed in addition to braces. 

3. Preventing Uneven Tooth Wear, Chipped Teeth, and the Need for Future Restorative Dentistry

Tooth wear starts in ways you might not notice. Like a rough edge that catches on your tongue, a front tooth that looks a little shorter in photos, or a sharp zing when cold water hits a certain tooth. Most of the time, uneven wear on teeth is caused by how your teeth meet. With malocclusion, pressure can be concentrated on a few teeth instead of being distributed across many, like a table with one short leg that takes all the wobble. 

Over time, those overloaded teeth can get shorter, develop tiny cracks, or chip along the edges, especially if you also clench or grind your teeth at night. Getting orthodontic treatment is the best way to protect enamel and reduce stress on the teeth that take the brunt of the work.

Finding the Best Orthodontist in Apex for Teens and Adults in Cary, Pittsboro, Holly Springs, and Morrisville

If you’re tired of jaw pain or tension headaches interrupting your life, or you’ve watched your child struggle with dental hygiene and cavities despite brushing and flossing, it’s time to find an orthodontist who can solve your problems as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Serving families across Cary, Apex, Pittsboro, Holly Springs, and Morrisville, Dr. Spielberg and her team offer a patient-centered approach and a variety of orthodontic treatment options so you or your child always get the best treatment for your needs.