Having teeth straightened does far more than make them look better, reports Texas Orthodontic Specialists

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/25/2014 --Many people believe that orthodontic care only involves braces or is only for children, but in reality, it can be essential at any time in life. Adult teeth can be straightened with a number of methods, and not only that, health can be improved by doing so. Texas Orthodontic Specialists, home of top Houston orthodontist Dr. Steven Chen, notes that crooked teeth don't just look ugly. They interfere with proper bite and cause wear on opposing teeth, increased decay, and even jaw and neck pain.

"When a person chews food, each chomp produces up to 160 foot-pounds of pressure," said Dr. Chen, "and a person will make hundreds of separate bites while chewing an entire meal. The teeth must come together properly to be able to withstand this pressure over time. Otherwise, serious problems can develop. Fortunately, malocclusions - bad bites - can be corrected in adults as well as children, so it's not too late for people who didn't get braces as kids."

Gaining the benefit of tooth alignment correction doesn't always require the use of ugly and highly-visible metal braces. They are still needed for large corrections, but in many adults, very low-key measures can be used instead. "One of our most popular items for adults is the Invisalign system," Dr. Chen said. "It involves wearing a clear plastic appliance over the teeth for many hours each day. Every two weeks, a new one is made that brings the teeth a bit closer to the desired end result. After several adjustments, the teeth will be lined up the way they should be."

"For larger adjustments, metal is used," Dr. Chen continued. "However, it doesn't always need to go on the outside of the teeth for all the world to see. In many cases, we can install the braces behind the teeth, where they do their jobs almost or completely invisibly."

Of course, the motivating factor for most adults is usually more motivated by the desired cosmetic effect of straight teeth rather than the resulting health benefits. Fortunately, both of these factors work together when teeth are straightened. Straight teeth naturally look much better than crooked ones, and can make a person seem both younger and more intelligent. Since biting forces are then evenly distributed, patients often find that formerly-nettlesome problems like headaches and jaw pain disappear.

Despite all of the options for adults, many believe that it's still best to start orthodontic treatment as early as possible. By taking a child to a top Houston orthodontist like Dr. Chen, parents can allow their children to avoid problems before the adult teeth have even grown in. This is because the growth of the adult teeth is guided by the juvenile ones even before the adult teeth erupt. Fixing problems in juvenile teeth therefore lowers the chance of problems later on.

About Texas Orthodontic Specialists
Texas Orthodontic Specialists is the website of Dr. Stephen Chen, one of Houston's top-rated and most popular orthodontists. His highly knowledgeable care brings in new patients on a weekly basis.