Several research findings indicate that there is a link between poor oral/dental health and serious illness. After all, the mouth is the front part of the lungs, the nasal cavity, the stomach and even the ears.
Saliva easily enters people’s lungs, and especially the elderly who sit or lie down a lot. If you have poor oral health, your mouth is full of oral bacteria that can spread easily.
A lot of research shows evidence that poor oral health also seems to be associated with various systemic diseases, which don’t necessarily have to be infections, but seem to have started with bacteria and substances from inflammation in the mouth.
There can be hundreds of millions of bacteria in your mouth, which can be putrefying and lead to bad breath. If you have it, there’s a good chance you have poor oral hygiene, on which your dental health depends.
The strongest link, according to researchers, seems to be with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, where tooth loss appears to be a contributing factor.
Björn Klinge, dentist and professor of periodontology at Malmö University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and his research team have shown that the risk of suffering a first heart attack increases by 30% in people with tooth loss. Diabetes is also one of the diseases highlighted in the study.
The Swedish research shows that patients with severe tooth loss are three times more likely to die early.
The long-term chronic inflammation and infection associated with tooth loss also appears to increase the risk of stroke and cancer.
In the small wounds of gum pockets, bacteria and cytokines from inflammation flood the body’s entire bloodstream and affect organs and tissues. These microorganisms from the oral cavity have been found in plaque in the coronary arteries of the heart and the carotid arteries of the neck.
There is debate about whether plaque can trigger rheumatoid arthritis and dementia. Plaque is made up of many types of bacteria, but there is one that no one wants on their gums or joints, called Porphyromonas gingivalis. It has several harmful properties, such as having the power to change a protein, which leads to an autoimmune, joint-destroying reaction.
When it comes to dementia, one of the clues is that the teeth in the upper jaw are quite close to the brain, so there is a risk that bacteria and inflammatory substances easily reach the brain.
Another theory is that chewing sends stimulating signals to the brain. These signals can be seen with modern imaging technologies.
Unfortunately, it seems that not only widespread inflammation and infection affect general health, but also dental plaque is enough to affect mortality.
So try to maintain good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth regularly and having regular check-ups with your dentist.
Causes
On a first approach, the causes of crooked or crowded teeth tend to be genetic. This genetic information determines the size of the teeth and jaws, which are inherited and, if not homogeneous, can mean that the size of the teeth and jaws are not proportional.
Facial deformities, which also have genetic causes or are caused during birth, can also lead to badly positioned or crooked teeth.
But it’s not just genetics that causes the problem. The development of assistive habits such as thumb sucking, biting the cap or tip of a pencil, nail biting, excessive pressure on the tongue teeth and prolonged dummy use in a baby can also lead to misaligned teeth that can range from mild to severe.
It also happens that because of the wisdom teeth, when there is not enough space to erupt, the incisors start to feel a slight crowding, which may be related to the “eruption pressure” exerted on the other molars, accompanying their impact in the anterior area. This condition tends to occur more frequently in the mandible, making the lower teeth crooked.
Other more uncommon, but also possible, causes of crooked teeth are related to traumatic situations (blows and falls) and difficulty breathing through the mouth when breathing through the nose. In the case of children, as the jaw is still growing, this behaviour affects the growth of the jaw, causing it to become out of tune in size.
Finally, but also important to mention, the lack or loss of one or more teeth, due to the problems they can cause in terms of alterations in the occlusion between the jaws, will also cause undesired movement of the teeth throughout life, causing them to become crooked.
Repercussions
Crowded or crooked teeth are one of the most aesthetically damaging conditions on the face, which is why it is a common cause for patients to visit dentist to align their teeth. However, reasons other than aesthetics alert the patient, especially an increased frequency of his tendency to bite on the inside of his lips and cheeks, as well as malocclusion causing headaches associated in some cases and problems at the level of the articulation between the jaws
In fact, apart from various effects at a functional level, crowded teeth can also affect self-esteem, as people with misaligned teeth, whether by crowding, outward protrusion or inward leaning, can be perceived as a suppressed smile, affecting their social life.
This situation becomes more relevant in situations of crooked front teeth because they are more exposed to the eyes of others, and tends to become more accentuated after the eruption of canine teeth.
How to correct crooked teeth?
A correct evaluation should be done on a case-by-case basis. After the dentist has assessed your specific case, the appropriate treatment will be started.
The most common treatment to correct crooked teeth is orthodontic or dental braces which are used to correct or align the position of the teeth.
Today, appliance application is much more advanced than a few years ago and there are different alternatives on the market.
The duration of the device will depend on the technique used for correction and the severity of the misalignment. In the case of very crooked teeth, the duration of treatment will be extended for several months and extractions may often even be necessary to obtain the necessary space for alignment. In other words, one or more teeth may need to be extracted before or during braces treatment.
The average duration of orthodontic treatment or correction with dental appliances is between 12 and 36 months (1 to 3 years), requiring monthly activation for fixed appliances and normally every 2 months for removable appliances.
In case there is space for it, another treatment solution that can become faster is the use of a fixed prosthesis, placing a dental crown or bridge. They are usually made of ceramic which are cemented in an aligned position on the crooked teeth. In this case these teeth are previously worn down and most of the time also devitalised, weakening their structure.
How much does it cost to correct crooked teeth?
Price varies depending on the ideal solution and the gravity of the situation.
DentalArt experts will recommend the best solution in your case.
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