If you, like 55 percent of Australians, want to do something to fix your crooked smile, don't be put off by the fact that you are an adult. Instead, ask yourself this question: would you rather spend the rest of your life with a crooked smile, or spend 12 months or more straightening that smile? As you can see, the time you invest in teeth straightening is worth it for the lifelong benefits you receive.

By opting to wear braces as an adult, you can benefit in a number of ways.

1. Reduced Wear and Tear on Your Teeth

All adults have to contend with shifting teeth over their lifetime. Mesial drift, which is a natural forward momentum that teeth have, pushes teeth forward and causes them to crowd the front of the jaw. This can gradually cause your smile to become crooked. And, even if your teeth have always been crooked, braces can straighten your smile (provided your jaw is large enough).

Crookedness causes more wear and tear on your teeth since your teeth don't come together correctly. Over time, teeth that come together awkwardly will become worn and weak. As such, you might require more dental restorative work later in life. However, braces can push teeth into a more favourable alignment, reducing wear and tear.

2. Facial Asymmetry Correction

If your smile is crooked due to the position of your teeth, braces can help to correct this. For instance, one side of your face may stronger because your teeth come together more favourably on that side, and so you chew more often on that side. This causes lateral asymmetry. To correct this problem, you can opt to wear braces. Within several years, your smile could be straight again.

3. Increased Comfort When Eating

Because your teeth are always moving, your eating style may also gradually change to suit the movement of your teeth. As a result, before you know it, you are favouring one side more than the other or one particular tooth over another tooth for chewing and grinding food. This favouritism worsens the issue and changes the shape of your bite.

As a result, in time, you find it more difficult to eat comfortably, especially when eating tough or hard foods that require more chewing. If eating has become a chore due to the shape of your bite, braces can correct this. If there is enough space in your jawbone, braces can move your teeth into that space, straightening your smile and bite in the process. Eating will be easier as a result.

Don't fear getting braces as an adult. Embrace the positive changes of the long-term rather than fear the short-term change to your appearance that wearing braces results in.