What are the benefits of ClearCorrect clear aligner therapy?
Patients commonly ask for clear aligner therapy to correct an aesthetic issue with their smile – that’s great!
However, clear aligner therapy can also correct other common and more serious dental issues. Severe crowding can be an issue in the front teeth, which can lead to gum disease because the patient is unable to properly clean their teeth. Expanding the alignment of the teeth makes room to fix this crowding and not only makes for a more appealing smile, but also allows the patient to easily brush and floss to maintain good oral hygiene.
Other issues include a narrowing of the mouth which can cause deterioration of the back teeth. A narrow mouth can cause teeth to hit each other in an unnatural motion rather than gliding as we eat. Using clear aligner therapy to expand this bite can significantly help.
Another added benefit of expanding the mouth to its natural and ideal bite is to dramatically increase a patient’s ability to breathe during sleep. Sleep apnea is the inability to properly breathe at night. Studies in head and neck medicine have been showing that changing the bite and structure of a mouth may help to alleviate symptoms. Oftentimes, without dental intervention, sleep apnea is treated by a special breathing mask, which is required to help maintain breathing patterns at night.
Now, by idealizing the mouth by aligning the bite, we have seen drastic increases in the volume of oxygen per breath, leading to more healthy patients with fewer apnea symptoms. Who knew that by using simple trays to move teeth, we could accomplish so much?!
