Braces are beneficial not just for the aesthetic appeal, but they can also be because misaligned teeth affect more than just a person’s smile. Misaligned teeth may cause different problems like tooth decay, TMD, and grinding of the teeth.
I am a grinder which I have previously wrote about here. My dentist identified a few years ago, that I was wearing away a lot of my enamel caused by clenching and grinding my teeth. When my teeth are together the top teeth cover up the bottom ones quite a bit, thus my dentist recommended to me getting an Inman aligner fitted, which would help straighten my teeth and ease some of my grinding.
I always thought I grinded my teeth due to stress, anxiety etc., while emotions do come into play, physical factors like misaligned teeth can also cause you to grind your teeth. And, grinding my teeth over a period of time (ever since I was a child), has caused me all sorts of issues: jaw pain, migraines, clicking jaw, and chipping of teeth. These issues come from a lot of pressure on the joints caused by the grinding, the joint is the hinge that connects the lower jaw to the temporal bone of the skull, thus, this is why I suffer from clicking, migraines etc.
I've worn a gum splint in night for a while now, and although, I still suffer from aching jaw, clicking jaw etc.. my migraines have almost stopped. So, what else can I do to help alleviate the jaw pain and clicking. Well, as my dentist suggested, to try by getting my teeth aligned.
So what is an Inman Aligner?
They are a slim brace which is made up of a coiled spring and a metal bar. The spring and the metal bar generate forces, which effectively and painlessly push and pull the teeth into position to straighten the teeth. The Inman Aligner is not invisible because the fine metal bar runs along the front of the teeth, but this is a very discreet treatment and treatment time is short. The cost of Inman Aligner treatment will depend upon the severity of the crowding, but typically it is a more affordable option than other forms of cosmetic braces.
