Millions of children and increasing numbers of adults have orthodontic braces put on every year. For many, having braces is “cool”, but for others it truly is a “pain”. In either case, if you’ve never had braces before, you might be wondering, “Why do people need braces in the first place?”

Before we talk about why people have braces put on, let’s discuss some teeth issues first. Most people’s teeth begin to grow in their mouths around the age of 6 months old, and by the time a person reaches the age of 3, all of their teeth should’ve grown in. However, these teeth are considered baby teeth and after they’ve come in, they will begin to fall out one by one, only to be eventually replaced by your permanent (aka: adult teeth). All in all, you should have a total of 32 teeth when everything is said and done.

When Trouble Can Begin…

So far, so good-right? Well, the problems with teeth usually begin after a person’s adult teeth start coming in. Some people don’t experience any problems at all. However, for most people, their teeth may grow in crooked, or grow in on top of another tooth. Other people’s mouths may be too small, which can then cause problems with overcrowding. There are also some people who, as children, used to suck their thumbs; and as a result, they have an overbite. There are also those who have an underbite. All of these things are referred to as malocclusion, which comes from Latin and means “bad bite”. These things are never anyone’s fault, as they are usually inherited traits.

So why should any of this matter? Teeth that don’t come in properly can cause problems when people try to chew their food. As you may already know, chewing is an important part of the digestion process. If your food isn’t chewed properly, this can lead to digestive problems. Additionally, if teeth are crooked, they can be harder to keep clean. This can lead to increased instances of bacteria buildup, which can cause things like gum disease or cavities in your mouth.

Putting on Braces

There are several reasons that people have braces put on. For some, this reason may simply be cosmetic. For instance, many people whose teeth are crooked, misformed or have gaps, etc. feel incredibly self conscious. For children, the embarrassment is not as bad since kids usually get braces. However, for an adult- especially ones who have jobs where speaking in front of the public is necessary, having crooked or misaligned teeth may be detrimental to their career or make them feel as if they are being judged.

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Tags: Dental Health, Health //