Having crooked teeth can make you feel embarrassed by your smile, but it can also do a lot more than that. If you have regular jaw aches and your dentist has determined that there's nothing wrong with your teeth and jaw, then it might be because your teeth are crooked. Here's what you need to know about this phenomenon and the best way to get it fixed.

When Teeth Are Aligned

Teeth are designed to be perfectly aligned in the mouth. Chances are you've seen a mold of teeth at some point at your dentist's office. The upper row of teeth is designed to rest perfectly on the lower row of teeth so that when your jaw is at rest, each tooth takes an equal amount of pressure. However, if your teeth aren't aligned, that's where the problems begin.

When They're Not Aligned

When teeth are crooked, the jaw can't fully rest. Any teeth that are standing straight up will take the brunt of the force, while teeth that are crooked and leaning to one side may not even make contact with the opposing row of teeth. When this happens, those few teeth that are taking the pressure can become painful and can overstimulate your jaw. This can cause pain, discomfort, and even mandibular tori, which are small bony lumps that form in the jaw. While they're harmless, they can contribute to your discomfort.

Getting Help

The good news is, getting help is easy, and you can experience less discomfort almost immediately if you go about it the right way. The best way to get help here is to have your teeth straightened. This is a process that does take some time, but it's the best way to ensure that your teeth will be level with one another and will rest easily against each other so that your jaw is comfortable. But since straightening takes time, you might be worried that it could take months or years before your jaw aches back off. Thankfully, if you choose invisible braces, that's not the case.

Invisible braces wrap over the entire tooth, gently pushing or pulling it in the direction that it needs to go. The way that they wrap over the tooth means that while you're wearing your invisible braces, they'll take the brunt of force instead of your teeth while you're biting down. Since you need to wear your invisible braces almost all day and night, that will ensure that your jaw doesn't take excessive pressure. As a result, it should feel more comfortable immediately.

Invisible braces are hands down the best way to tackle this problem. If you're tired of your jaw hurting and don't want to develop mandibular tori, contact an orthodontist to find out how you can get Invisalign braces. 

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