Why Straight Teeth Are Healthier

Straight teeth are healthier because they are less likely to trap food and they’re easier to clean.

Crooked teeth are more likely to trap food than straight teeth. Parasitic bacteria in your mouth depend on the food you eat for sustenance. It allows them to multiply and excrete damaging acid on your teeth. Most of the time, this means that they can get limited sustenance because you take long breaks between meals where they have no access to food. That’s why between meal snacking can be bad for your teeth. And having food trapped between your teeth is even worse. It gives bacteria access to a long-term food supply so they can keep reproducing and releasing damaging acids on your teeth.

Your daily oral hygiene is the most important factor in ensuring the health of your teeth. If your teeth are crooked, it can be harder to remove the plaque from many parts of the teeth, resulting in more and larger colonies of damaging bacteria and a higher risk of cavities. The plaque can then harden into tartar, which shelters oral bacteria.

Beautiful young woman showing off her amazingly straight teeth

Straight Teeth Lead to Healthier Gums

Cleaning your teeth well doesn’t just promote healthy teeth–it also promotes healthier gums. Oral bacteria are just as damaging to your gums as to your teeth, and deposits of plaque and tartar on your teeth are a great jumping-off point for bacteria to settle under your gums.

When your teeth are straight, it makes it easier for your gums to surround your teeth without experiencing adverse forces. But crooked teeth can put stress on gums, leading to red, inflamed, or receding gums.

Overall Health Improves

Gum disease is not just a disease of the mouth. It can trigger systemic effects that impact your overall health. Heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders can all be worsened or even caused by gum disease. For more information, see our gum disease page.

Protect Teeth from Damage

Teeth work best when they support each other. Tooth enamel is arranged so that most of its strength is focused in the direction that bite force is supposed to come from. Teeth are protected from sideways forces by standing straight together. When teeth are crooked, they are more likely to experience forces they can’t handle. This results in at least tooth wear, and often in more serious chipping or cracking.

If you have any kind of accident, crooked teeth are more likely to be damaged or avulsed (knocked out).

A Straight Smile Helps Personal and Professional Relationships

When you meet someone, they are likely to notice your smile first. And what your smile says about you depends on how straight your teeth are. People with straight teeth are considered not just more attractive than people with crooked teeth–they’re considered smarter, too. People with straight teeth are more likely to be hired than someone with similar qualifications but crooked teeth–and they’ll probably be offered a higher salary.

When it comes to dating, you’re 57% more likely to get a date based on your picture alone if you have straight teeth. And if you have crooked teeth, 38% of people would consider not going on a second date with you just because of your teeth.

For romantic partners, an attractive smile is number one on the most wanted list for both men and women.

Start Getting Your Teeth Straightened

If you are currently unhappy with your crooked teeth, there’s no better time than now to start the process of getting straighter teeth with orthodontics. We offer a wide range of options so you can get the orthodontic treatment that fits your lifestyle, whether that’s Invisalign, Six Month Smiles, traditional braces, or more.

To learn about your orthodontic options in Columbus, Ohio, please call (614) 848-5001 or contact us online today for an appointment with our Columbus, Ohio dentist.