Kissing is a good thing. It makes you happy. It’s a way to show love. And, in case you didn’t know, kissing can improve your oral health too. But if you’re living with misaligned and unsightly teeth, a potential partner may be less willing to pucker up. Invisalign can help you get a kissable smile.
The Benefits of Kissing
First, let’s look at the many and sometimes unexpected benefits of kissing:
- More saliva: Kissing increases the flow of saliva, and saliva plays a role in washing the mouth, helping remove cavity-causing food particles, and keeping teeth, gums, and mouth healthy.
- Fewer cavities: Tooth decay is minimized thanks to the neutralization of acids and remineralization of teeth through extra saliva.
- Strong tooth enamel: The mineral salts in saliva help rebuild the minerals in tooth enamel, which means the inner layers of your teeth remain protected by the super-hard and super-strong tooth enamel.
- More antibodies: About 80 percent of the bacteria in saliva is common to everyone, but that other 20 percent is unique to your mouth. Passionate kissing and an exchange of saliva stimulates your immune system, which will react to the foreign bacteria and create antibodies against it. This cross-immunotherapy can help fight infection – unless, of course, it’s cold and flu season. Then you shouldn’t be kissing anyone on the lips.
The verdict? Pucker up! People with dry mouth are far more susceptible to dental problems because there is not enough saliva to wash away bacteria. If you or someone you love is taking meds that reduce the flow of saliva, get to kissing to increase saliva production and improve oral health.
Creating a Kissable Smile with Invisalign
Now, of course, the question is, how can you pucker up for some good kisses if you’re ashamed of your teeth and smile? The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry reports that 33 percent of folks will not kiss you if you have bad teeth. And 85 percent of adults think a good smile is essential to land a date.
You may not think of braces and kissing as being a good mix, but Invisalign makes it so. Here are just some of the ways Invisalign can turn your smile into a kissable one:
- Straighten your teeth. Of course. Plus, the aligners used in Invisalign are barely noticeable. Kiss away during your Invisalign treatment with no awkwardness or concerns about brackets and wires.
- Make your teeth healthier. Aligned teeth are easier to clean, and keep cavity-free.
- Improve your nutrition. When your teeth are not aligned, their positioning may be painful or make it difficult for you to chew certain foods. Teeth that are in alignment bite and chew properly, which means you can chow down on the healthy, crunchy, chewy foodstuffs and improve your overall health which improves the overall you.
- Smile more. When you love your teeth, you’ll smile more. And that automatically makes you a better candidate for kissing. Who can resist a genuine smile?
Ready to get smooching? Pair Invisalign with professional teeth whitening for a straight and super-white smile that people will find irresistible. Make an appointment with Red Bank dentist Dr. Carole Sherrod Jewell to learn more about Invisalign braces.
