When we talk about health, the body is nothing but a huge communicating vessel in which everything is connected. Among all these parts, there is a more visible entrance door than others, although historically it has not had the same consideration for its care and protection. Oral health is more than a pretty smile, but a pretty smile is key for everything in it to work properly. And not just for an ‘aesthetic’ issue.
An aligned smile can be the key to solving health problems that go beyond what we see with the naked eye, such as diction problems, heart-related diseases or improved self-esteem. The simple act of smiling, and doing it often, generates multiple benefits. For example, it helps lower levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone, which can help reduce anxiety and strengthen the immune system.
It is an example of how the smile is connected to the rest of our body and of all the benefits that can be derived from a correctly aligned smile that is not afraid to express itself. In fact, when someone has a beautiful and aligned smile, they unconsciously smile more, which increases their self-esteem. But what other benefits are hidden behind a beautiful smile?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nine out of 10 people are at risk of having some type of oral disease. The alignment of the teeth goes beyond the aesthetic and impacts on physical health, as highlighted by the experts of Impress, the leading chain of invisible orthodontic clinics in Europe. Misaligned teeth are more difficult to clean, which can lead to increased plaque buildup and increased risk of tooth decay, halitosis, or gum disease.
Some oral inflammations and infections related to poor dental alignment can aggravate some heart conditions. the dr. Estela Arias, medical director of Impress in Spain, explains that poor oral hygiene causes the accumulation of harmful bacteria in the mouth. In addition to inflaming the gums causing gingivitis, if they are ingested they can lodge in the bloodstream and damage the heart valves.
People with gum disease have two to three times the risk of suffering a serious cardiovascular accident. This has been detected by scientific research echoed by the Harvard Health Publishing magazine. The same studies make it clear that such a connection may not exist because people with heart disease have been found to have healthy gums and people with gum disease who do not develop heart problems. Although the suspicion of the connection between both pathologies is increasingly widespread among the scientific community.
“If you don’t chew well, your tummy will hurt.” It is one of the ‘mantras’ that are passed down from father to son and from generation to generation. A problem that, in fact, is accentuated when the teeth are misaligned. The reason? By not chewing well, the stomach has to make a greater effort during digestion. As they add from Impress, a correct dental alignment avoids problems such as acidity or reflux.
The mouth is the center of gaze and the starting point of communication, verbal and non-verbal. The smile is precisely the means with which emotions are expressed and attention is attracted, which is why it is resignified as a vital instrument for communication. From Impress, leaders in invisible orthodontics, they corroborate it: a correct alignment influences the improvement of interpersonal relationships.
It’s something physical. Teeth are one of the elements involved in human speech. As highlighted by the orthodontic chain, the teeth form a closed cavity that allows the sounds necessary to speak and communicate to be emitted. If the teeth do not have the correct location or are in altered positions, they can affect speech, causing lisping or whistling.
The alignment of the teeth is an increasingly important factor in the emotional well-being of a person, something that the ‘overexposure’ of the image in social networks has raised to the maximum power. A misaligned smile can reduce self-esteem, self-confidence and the way a person presents himself in public, making him more vulnerable to comments or evaluations.
A correct alignment is also key to a good rest. On the contrary, an inappropriate position of the teeth can lead to a bad bite or excessive muscle tension in certain areas, which could translate into bruxism, a health problem recognized by the WHO and that occurs especially while sleeping, causing wear, fracture and dental sensitivity, among other problems related to rest.
