Consultant Specialist Orthodontist with over 25 years' experience
You likely have some experience of being in high school where at least one of your friends who had braces was complaining about their fitting or tightening. And maybe at the time, it seemed frivolous or even solely cosmetic, but orthodontics does genuinely matter. Let's talk more about the importance of teeth straightening Marylebone and what we at Orthodontist London really do to improve people's quality of life.
The impact of misaligned teeth
Misaligned teeth are no big deal, right? A slightly wonky smile adds character and it's practically a British stereotype. Why not own it? Well, there are very real impacts caused by having poorly aligned teeth, the first of which is a badly meshing bite, as you will have sections of the teeth that simply cannot close. This forces you to eat food in an unorthodox way, avoiding prominent teeth and making some partial use of those that are below the normal bite line. This is most obvious when eating a sandwich where the filling may be left behind while the bread is stripped away.
Some overcrowded teeth can be problematic too; partially obscured teeth can make it tricky to brush and almost impossible to floss, significantly complicating long-term maintenance and increasing the risk of cavities. However, the real long-term issue is a temporomandibular joint disorder.
Temporomandibular joint disorder
Insidious and slow to diagnose, a temporomandibular joint disorder is akin to a repetitive strain disorder. Sufferers do not notice the early symptoms of a slightly stiff jaw, particularly when waking up in the morning.
The first time a patient seeks medical aid on a temporomandibular joint disorder would usually be with their GP. The latest symptoms involve chronic headaches as the overstretched muscles of the face put additional tension on the temples and restrict blood flow around the neck, causing discomfort in the shoulders and a restriction in motion. For many patients, this is enough to induce chronic migraines with no apparent cause being detected in MRI or CT scans.
The relatively minor symptoms of jaw discomfort in the morning and teeth grinding at night become very low on the list of the patient's priorities and are commonly missed by physicians. Many patients only find out that they are suffering from a temporomandibular joint disorder when they attend a dental clinic on a regular visit and the wear on the top of their teeth is noticed by their dentist.
A temporomandibular joint disorder is genuinely debilitating; it can easily result in the loss of use of the jaw. Patients who have had it undiagnosed for decades have been classified as disabled. It puts them in the very difficult position of requiring expensive and time-consuming orthodontic care but being far too old to be entitled to it according to NHS guidelines.
Teeth straightening Marylebone may not be life-saving, but it is a step towards a better quality of life. We understand the realities of private orthodontic care costs and can offer extensive flexible payment plans designed to make treatment as affordable as possible in order to remove the barriers to good quality care.
After your consultation with us, you will be provided with a full quote that is all-inclusive of the entirety of your teeth straightening Marylebone treatment, from the very first meeting to 12 months after care, starting when your treatment formally ends.
