Straight Talk About Clean Teeth: Getting Patients to Comply

The general public puts a great importance on a nice smile. Models, athletes, movie stars, and entertainers all make us want that perfect smile. The Academy of General Dentistry recently reported that 40% of survey respondents notice the smile of people they work with and believe a smile is important to a person’s appearance.

However, the majority of our patients have no idea about the benefits that straight teeth have on their overall oral health. And, these benefits are the most important benefits to having straight teeth.

Whether you are a teen, young adult or an adult, there is a great advantage to having straight teeth. Orthodontic treatment in adults has increased tremendously in recent years. As we know, there are many treatment alternatives out there like Clear Aligners, Ceramic brackets, Gold brackets, Lingual brackets, and Traditional metal brackets. Overall, orthodontic appliances are the best tools that dentistry has today to help patients straighten their dentition. An additional orthodontic benefit is the ability to assist the patient with achieving a better appearance and self-esteem while correcting the crowding and malocclusion present with their teeth and bite. In many cases, crowding and malocclusion can contribute to periodontal disease. This is due to the fact that areas with malocclusion and crowding are harder to reach and thus keep clean with brushing and flossing. (Fig. 1)