Braces can give you a beautiful smile, but they can benefit you in other ways, too. More than 4 million people in the United States wear braces, but how do you know if they’re right for you?

At Bay Dental Group in San Jose, California, Dr. Woo Young Lee and Dr. Sean Kim are orthodontics specialists. We provide treatments that can help align your teeth and jaw to benefit your oral health and give you a beautiful, confident smile.

Let’s look at seven reasons that might indicate a need for braces:

 1.  Overcrowded or crooked teeth

When your teeth overlap, bacteria can grow in those hard-to-reach areas, which can lead to plaque and decay. Spreading your teeth out evenly with braces enables you to practice an effective oral hygiene routine and improves the appearance of your smile, as well.

 2.  Unable to floss

You should floss at least once a day, but if your teeth are too close to each other or are crooked, you might have difficulty accomplishing the task. This can lead to decay and other oral health problems.

 3.  Can’t bite down effectively

If you have an underbite, crossbite, overbite, or an open bite, you probably struggle to bite down properly when eating or even talking. Our orthodontic treatments can correct these issues.

 4.  Teeth interfere with your tongue

If your teeth cause you to unwillingly bite your tongue or cut it because they’re sharp, braces can adjust your teeth to stop this from happening.

 5.  Teeth cause speech problems

When your teeth aren’t aligned properly, you can struggle with pronouncing your words correctly, which affects your overall ability to communicate. Braces straighten your teeth, allowing your tongue to touch the teeth needed to speak normally and naturally.

 6.  Soreness in your jawline

Do your jaws feel fatigued after chewing food or talking for a long time? This is a telltale sign that your teeth and jaws need alignment, which braces can fix.

 7.  Your jaw pops

Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge that allows your mouth to open and close. If you hear a clicking sound when you chew food or when you open your mouth, braces can correct the joint’s alignment so that it works properly.

Our team evaluates the structure of your teeth and mouth, as well as your overall oral health, and we can work with you to determine if getting braces is the best solution for you. Our goal is to give you a healthy mouth plus a beautiful smile.

To learn more about braces, and to see if you’re a good candidate, call us at (408) 725-2442 today, or use the online booking tool. If you have questions, feel free to send our team a message.