In some cases, it’s simple to tell if you need orthodontic treatment. Say your bottom teeth are crowding in the front, or your top teeth have a gap that’s causing a speech impediment. Maybe your child’s baby teeth are shedding, and his or her adult teeth are growing noticeably out of alignment. In these cases, it’s obvious that orthodontic treatment would benefit your child’s condition.
With other conditions and symptoms, it may not be as apparent that orthodontic treatment could provide a complete fix. If you notice any of the following signs in you or your child, it’s time to start treatment!
Here are 4 signs you need orthodontics:
- You simply are not confident in your smile.
This seems like common sense: if you aren’t confident in your smile, you can improve it with orthodontic treatment. But sometimes people hide their smiles without realizing it! You may have subconsciously gotten in the habit of covering your grin or laugh when you’re speaking to another person or to a group of people. Maybe you only take pictures with your mouth closed, because you don’t want your teeth photographed, or maybe you envy people with pearly, straight teeth. If you feel embarrassed by your smile to any degree, let’s change your life! If you’re consciously covering your smile, or it’s become a subconscious habit to hide your smile behind a sleeve or a hand, you can benefit immensely from orthodontic treatment. - You have sleep apnea or breathing troubles.
Whether it be at night or during the day, if you struggle to breathe sometimes, your airways may be obstructed. This means air isn’t flowing smoothly through your airways, which is often attributed to the width of your palette. When the jaw is too narrow, the teeth don’t have enough room to stabilize in proper alignment, so they become crowded, which blocks air from passing through. An easy way to detect airway obstruction is by mouth-breathing. Do you resort to breathing through your mouth to get enough oxygen during the day or night? Do you wake up with a sore, dry throat often? Do you snore loudly? Do you ever wake up choking or gagging? These are all signs of sleep apnea! Orthodontic treatments are significantly effective for improving the symptoms of obstructed airways or sleep apnea. - Your mouth, teeth or gums are sore often.
If you’re familiar with frequent discomfort, pain or soreness in your mouth, we can help you. Pain in your mouth may be attributed to your dental arches, their position and their condition. If your teeth are already crowded together and your wisdom teeth are trying to emerge, this can feel fairly uncomfortable. Dr. Spillers and Dr. Gordon are experts at shifting the teeth into an alignment that allows all teeth to grow straight, in the most favorable position. The right orthodontic treatment will position the teeth so that no tooth is out of line or causing pain in your gums. Crowding with wisdom teeth may not be your specific condition, but regardless of the orthodontic condition that’s causing you pain, we can provide relief. At your free initial exam with us, our doctors will thoroughly assess the source of your pain and recommend a treatment to alleviate your condition. - It’s uncomfortable to eat your favorite foods.
Life is too short not to enjoy your favorite foods! With so many zesty food options in the world, you should be able to try and enjoy any food you want during your lifetime. If you’re unable to chew your favorite foods, this may be attributed to your orthodontic condition. The way your jaws fit together depends on the position of your bite. With poor bite conditions, like open bites, your jaw isn’t aligned, so your teeth aren’t fitting together properly. An open bite, often caused by thumbsucking, skeletal problems or pushing the tongue between the top and bottom teeth, is characterized by front teeth that don’t touch when the mouth is closed. As you could imagine, it’s tough to chew when your teeth aren’t meeting! With an open bite, you may find yourself chewing only with your back teeth, which can cause significant wear on those teeth. If your condition is not an open bite, it could be a similar orthodontic condition affecting your ability to chew. We have treatments that allow you to love your favorite foods for life!
Your orthodontic condition may be sabotaging your quality of life without you knowing it! If you recognize any of these 4 signs, or any uncomfortable symptoms related to your teeth or bite, relief is only one free orthodontic exam away!
If you or someone you know is seeking a local orthodontist in Macon or Warner Robins, Georgia, our team at Spillers Orthodontics wants to meet you. We provide Invisalign, braces for teens, braces for kids, adult orthodontics and more to our communities.
Give us a call or schedule your complimentary orthodontic exam with us today!
