Get Your Teeth into Orthodontics

Many of us are scared of dental care or visiting an orthodontist but this can be our downfall; the longer you leave a problem the worse it will become, the more extensive the orthodontics you’ll need. And yet, we all want and desire the perfect smile and are vain enough to hide crooked, discoloured or unsightly smiles when it comes to posing for photographs. This might go some way in explaining the proliferation of dental products on the market. And although it’s crucial to have a healthy daily dental routine, there are certain things that can only be achieved using orthodontics. Tooth whitening toothpaste won’t fix a crooked or yellowed smile, no matter how bright the model’s teeth may be on the packaging.

The UK has undergone a seismic shift in orthodontics and dental care as the NHS dentists become increasingly scarce. If you have healthy teeth but just want to fix your smile so it’s straighter, brighter and whiter, you won’t receive NHS treatment. Cosmetic dentistry is a private affair. Perhaps this explains why consumers are more likely to invest in over the counter products as they feel guilty for neglecting their teeth. The sales of mouthwash shot up by 77% between 2003 and 2008 (it is now an industry worth £158m a year). And new dental products are being launched all the time to cater to the insatiable market. Everybody wants a winning smile, which could explain the launch of mint lozenges that contain probiotic bacteria to restore the mouth’s natural balance. Or why the sale of tongue scrapers have gone up by 13% in the past few years and handheld cordless dental water jets have taken off to help floss those awkward gaps in between our teeth. One cosmetics company in the States has even launched a lip gloss with a tooth whitening wand. The reality is, if you want to sort out your smile you’ll need to take orthodontics seriously and book to see an orthodontist!