Straight talk about misaligned teeth: Your smile and your health are clearly connected.

Learn more inside and at http://www.invisalign.com/straighttalk

What’s healthier about straighter teeth?

Misaligned teeth can lead to premature wear, tooth loss, gum disease and the buildup of bacteria associated with bigger problems, including heart disease.

More than seven out of ten American adults have some kind of issue with their bites, such as crowding, spacing or overbites-your dentist may use the word malocclusion.

Malocclusion: Abnormal tooth alignment

Are you experiencing:

*Cold Sensitivity
*Receding gums
*Biting lips, cheek or tongue
*Indentations at the gum line
*Teeth chipping or wearing
*Speech changes or lisping
*Food getting caught between teeth
*Bad breath
*Dry mouth or mouth breathing
*Difficultly flossing
*Jaw or muscle pain or headaches
*Self-consciousness when smiling for photos

The connection between your health and misaligned teeth

Painful Gums & Gum Disease

It’s hard to remove plaque and bacteria from misaligned teeth. This can lead to inflamed gums, soft tissue damage, receding gums, pockets between teeth and gums, bone loss and tooth loss.

Early signs of gum disease:

*red gums
*Bleeding when you brush or floss
*Bad Breath

There may be no signs of gum disease until the advanced stages. Gum disease: Diseases of the soft tissue and bone support around your teeth.

Tooth & Gum Deterioration & Tooth Loss

Poorly aligned teeth can put extra stress and pressure on teeth and jawbone. This can cause:

*Receding gums
*Gum Disease
*Indentations at the gum line
*Cold sensitivity
*Fractured/cracked teeth
*Tooth loss

Overall Health Risks

Problems that start in your mouth can spread to the rest of your body. Severe gum infections may increase the risk of:

*Heart disease
*Stroke
*Lung problems
*Problems in pregnancy
*Complications
*Alzheimer’s disease

1. Bacteria form a film underneath the gums, particularly where teeth are misaligned. Gum pockets form, further trapping bacteria and debris.

2. Bacteria and its byproducts trigger an inflammatory response.

3. Your immune system creates white blood cells and proteins to fight the inflammation.

4. The combination of bacteria, toxins, white blood cells and acute phase proteins damages the cells that line your coronary arteries, resulting in plaque and leading to hardening of the arteries.

Straight Teeth are healthier teeth: when your teeth are properly aligned, the health benefits are clear.

Healthier Gums:

It’s easier to brush and floss around properly aligned teeth and you are less likely to have pockets between gums and teeth that trap bacteria.

Improved Hygiene:

Properly aligned teeth reduce plaque retention, tooth decay and the risk of gum disease.

Less Wear and trauma:

Aligned teeth reduce the risk of tooth chipping, breaking and wear, which can require expensive procedures to repair. Proper alignment also reduces stress on the jawbones and joints.

The World’s Most Advanced Clear Aligner System:

Only Invisalign clear aligners are made of SmartTrack material and are clinically proven to achieve 75 percent more predictable tooth movement.

To start your journey toward properly aligned teeth and better overall health, talk to your doctor about Invisalign clear aligners, trusted by nearly 4 million patients like you.

Join them.

Your doctor would like to discuss your malocclusion with you:

Crowding: symptoms/signs: biting lips,cheeks or tongue; lisping speech changes; chipping or wearing of teeth; food traps, bad breath; difficulty flossing; jaw pain; headaches.

Spacing: Symptoms/Signs: biting lips, cheeks or tongue; lisping, speech changes; food traps; bad breath.

Deep Bite (overbite): Symptoms/Signs: cold sensitivity; receding gums; indentations at the gum line; chipping or wearing of teeth; dry mouth; mouth breathing; jaw pain; headaches.

Excessive Overjet: Symptoms/Signs: chipping or wearing of teeth; dry mouth; mouth breathing.

Edge to Edge bite: Symptoms/Signs: cold sensitivity; receding gums; indentations at the gum line; chipping or wearing of teeth; jaw pain; headaches.

Open Bite: Symptoms/Signs: Cold sensitivity; receding gums, indentations at the gum line; biting lips, cheeks or tongue; lisping; speech changes; dry mouth; mouth breathing; jaw pain and headaches.

Narrow Arch: Symptoms/Signs: cold sensitivity; receding gums; indentations at the gum line; chipping or wearing of teeth; jaw pain; headaches.

Treat the cause of the problem, not just your symptoms. Learn more inside about how properly aligned teeth can help protect your overall health.

Invisalign: http://www.invisalign.com

Disclaimer: this information was taken directly from the Invisalign pamphlet and I give them full credit for the information. Please call the above number or email address for more information.