Everyone knows braces help straighten teeth and improve the look of smiles, but orthodontia affects more than your appearance. Temiko G. Braswell DDS PC in Perry, GA helps patients feel confident with their grins, but the office also prioritizes overall oral health. Braces can be strictly a cosmetic procedure, but more often than not, dentists recommend them for more serious reasons.

Here are a few health benefits of getting braces you might not have known about:

• Preventing Cavities: Plaque loves to hide out in the cracks and crevices between teeth, and crooked teeth offer plenty of places to avoid the toothbrush. When teeth aren’t aligned properly, it’s harder to clean between them, and that can lead to a greater risk of cavities and serious tooth decay. Cleaning every nook and cranny around crooked teeth is near impossible, but braces will move teeth to their proper places so plaque has nowhere to hide.
•  Stopping TMJ Disorders: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw to the rest of the skull. You need it for eating, speaking, and breathing, but TMJ disorders are common in people with crooked teeth that keep the upper and lower jaws from aligning correctly. Symptoms range from general discomfort and difficulty chewing to lockjaw. Braces realign the teeth to allow the jaw to open and close properly.
• Correcting Speech Impediments: Speaking requires your lips, tongue, palate, and teeth to work together in the seamless orchestration of sounds. Many children and adults suffer from speech impediments because their misaligned teeth or overcrowded mouths make it impossible to pronounce certain sounds correctly. Gaps between teeth, overbites, and underbites all affect speech, but they’re also easily fixed with braces.