Crooked teeth may not seem like a big deal if they're not stopping you from eating or speaking properly. However, those crooked teeth can cause serious health problems eventually if they're left untreated. For example, overlapping teeth can lead to decay, because you can't clean between them properly. Crooked teeth may also continue to shift gradually, leading to jaw pain, headaches, and even chewing difficulties. If you're not interested in wearing metal braces as an adult, you may still be able to fix your crooked teeth by getting invisible braces from a cosmetic dentist. Invisible braces are removable aligners made of clear, flexible plastic that are hardly noticeable when you're wearing them. Not only can they fix a tooth alignment, but they also come with some surprising health benefits when compared to metal braces. Take a look at some of the health benefits of invisible braces.

Avoid Tooth Decay and Staining

Straightening your teeth is supposed to help you take better care of them, since it's easier to brush and floss your teeth when they're straight. However, metal braces can actually lead to tooth stains and decay themselves. Just as it's hard to clean between two overlapping teeth, it's also difficult to clean underneath all of those wires and brackets. It's easy for food to get caught underneath the braces and stay there long enough to cause decay.

What's more, when those food particles come into contact with certain bacteria in your mouth, they can produce acid, which also winds up stuck underneath your braces. This can cause a problem called demineralization, which is what happens when the acid leeches calcium and phosphate from your teeth. This can leave white scars in the shape of the braces on the surface of your tooth.

Invisible braces are completely removable. That's good news, because it means that when it's time to brush your teeth, you can take the braces off and brush and floss thoroughly without any wires or brackets in the way. Your teeth stay cleaner, and you won't need to fix cavities or stains on your teeth when you're finally done with the braces.

Keep Your Gums Healthier

It's not just your teeth that are at risk if you can't brush or floss properly. In some cases, metal braces can make it difficult to brush around the gum line. If plaque begins to build up close to your gums, your gums can become red or inflamed, feel sensitive to the touch, and even bleed when you try to brush them. These are all signs of gingivitis, which is the early form of gum disease.

Being able to remove your invisible braces doesn't just allow you to brush your teeth, it also ensures that you keep your gums clean and healthy. Plus, there are no wires to accidentally poke into your cheeks or gum tissue. That's a plus, because cuts from the wires on your braces can sometimes lead to painful infections.

Improve Your Eating Habits

Are you a habitual snacker? Do you occasionally devour a bag of chips by yourself while watching a movie? Do you drink too many sugary sodas or too much coffee? While the purpose of invisible braces is tooth straightening, not dieting, they can sometimes help you improve your eating habits, and even lose weight.

It works like this: you have to remove your invisible braces to eat and to brush your teeth. This is good, because it means that you can eat things that you might not be able to eat with metal braces, like crunchy apples or raw carrots. However, you can't leave the braces off for too long. In order for the braces to do their job, you have to wear them at least 20 to 22 hours a day. That means that you only have 2 to 4 hours a day to eat all the meals you need for the day and clean your teeth. You also have to remove the aligners to drink anything that might stain them, like soda or coffee. It's OK to sip water with the aligners on, however.

This can result in you making some positive changes in your diet. Many people find themselves snacking less and cutting out sugary and caffeinated drinks to comply with the time requirements of the invisible braces. By the time you're done wearing the braces, you've overhauled your eating and drinking habits. You shouldn't rely on invisible braces as a diet aid, but if you do lose weight, or just develop a healthier eating pattern, it's a nice side benefit that you wouldn't get with metal braces.

If you're interested in using invisible braces to straighten out your crooked teeth, make an appointment with a cosmetic dentist in your area for an evaluation. It might be the best decision you could make for your mouth.