With Baby Boomers reaching a certain age, the benefits of adult orthodontics become very apparent. This generation is not going to succumb to aging gracefully. They’re going to go out fighting the whole process. If you are going to look after your health and pay attention to your body’s needs as you age, you cannot ignore your dental health.
Dental Care in the Total Picture
Forget about aesthetics for a minute and think about how good dental health effects the rest of your overall health. Maintenance of your teeth allows for proper mastication of your food, which leads to better absorption of nutrients and minerals into your body making you stronger and healthier.
Neglected teeth can become infected. These infections can cause permanent damage to any of your internal organs; including damage to the arteries and chambers of the heart, which may lead to a shorter lifespan. A neglected infection of the teeth or gums can be potentially deadly.
Tooth Alignment
Although young people are the main target for tooth alignment with the assistance of braces, more and more adults are seeking out a better smile as well. Now that orthodontists have developed braces that are virtually invisible, there has been an increase in the number of adults using them. By aligning their teeth, adults can not only chew better, but the pain that can accompany improper alignment can be reduced or even eliminated.
Appearances
It has been proven that the individual with good self-esteem and pride in their appearance is happier, which in turn can mean living longer. So opting for braces, porcelain veneers, or even bleaching to improve your dental health and appearance only adds to your overall well-being.
We have even reached a stage where dental caps can be fashioned to match the color of our natural teeth. Unsightly silver fillings are a thing of the past, and by having them replaced, the risk inherent in the mercury contained in these filling is removed.
Old wire rigged bridges are now being replaced by permanent teeth that can be attached to your own natural teeth or even to the jawbone. Another highly sought after dental procedure is whitening. Although the very young are bleaching their teeth to achieve a perfect smile, adults are finding that bleaching can eliminate the discoloration of smoke-stained or aging teeth.
Orthodontics have even developed porcelain veneers that can be applied to severely deformed or damaged teeth. Gone are the days when dentists yanked out your teeth and replaced them with dentures. Now anyone with proper dental care can keep their own teeth even into advanced old age.
Source by Tyler Robison
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