What Does the Perfect Smile Look Like?

If you want to improve the appearance of your smile and decrease your risk of tooth decay in the future, getting orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligners is the way to go. While many patients come in hoping to get a “perfect smile,” it’s important to know there really is no such thing as a perfect smile. However, you can expect to get the best smile possible for you based on your unique facial structure and teeth. In other words, you shouldn’t expect to get the perfect smile, but you can expect to get your perfect smile. Creating the best smile for you involves balancing several factors.

Fixing Cosmetic Issues

While you can’t strive for perfection, you can improve the appearance of your smile by addressing issues in your teeth like crowding and excess spacing. Having crowded teeth is fairly common and is the result of teeth taking up too much space in the jaw. Crowding causes teeth to stick out irregularly and to become crooked. Orthodontic treatment solutions like braces or clear aligners from Invisalign will fix this problem by applying pressure to your teeth in specific ways that space them ideally. This can also fix problems like excessive gaps.

Every person has differently sized jaws and teeth, but by correcting issues like crowding and gaps, orthodontic treatment can position your teeth to create the perfect smile for you.

Bite Problems

Getting the best smile for you isn’t all about looks. When you optimize your smile with orthodontic treatment, you can also fix problems with your bite. Underbites and overbites are fairly common issues that prevent the jaw from biting down the right way. If you have an underbite, the lower jaw will stick out too far, and if you have an overbite, the upper jaw will be positioned out too far. Both problems make it harder to speak, breathe, or eat, and can cause teeth to wear down due to poorly distributed pressure when you bite.

Some braces or clear aligners will come with elastic interarch bands, which pull the jaw into the right position, allowing you to bite down easily without any problems. Braces and clear aligners can also even out the teeth so there isn’t a tooth sticking up higher than the others. This will drastically improve bite comfort while reducing wear.

Plaque Buildup

When teeth are crowded or have excess gaps, it becomes easier for plaque to build up, resulting in tooth decay. So while you’re fixing issues with the appearance of your teeth when you get braces or Invisalign, you’re also setting yourself up for better oral health in the future. When teeth are straight and spaced out properly, it’s much easier to actually thoroughly clean your teeth.

Overall, when you choose to improve your smile with orthodontic treatment, your teeth will both look and feel their best.

To learn more about the benefits of orthodontic treatment and to see which treatment option is right for you, schedule your free consultation at Charleston Orthodontic Specialists today.