Having crooked, gapped, or overcrowded teeth can negatively impact your self-confidence and increase your risk for dental problems like plaque buildup, tooth decay, and gum disease. While orthodontic treatments like braces and Invisalign are highly effective, they can be expensive and time-consuming. Luckily, there are some natural, at-home methods that may help straighten your teeth.
Keep reading to discover 7 natural ways to help straighten your teeth over time without orthodontic devices. Implementing a combination of these tips can incrementally improve alignment, close small gaps, and reduce crowding issues gradually. However, severe misalignment will likely still require professional intervention.
Correct Your Oral Posture
The position of your tongue can profoundly impact the straightness of your teeth. Allowing your tongue to rest against your teeth or pushing it against certain teeth puts excess pressure that causes movement over time.
Practice correct oral posture by training your tongue to rest against the upper palate behind your front teeth. Place the tip of your tongue right behind where your front top and bottom teeth meet when you bite down. Keeping proper oral posture reduces uneven pressure against your teeth, helping prevent further misalignment or spacing issues.
Chew Sugar-Free Gum
Chewing gum is an easy way to straighten teeth naturally through consistent gentle pressure. When you chew gum, you apply minor forces against your teeth that can slowly shift them into alignment. Just be sure to choose sugarless gum to avoid tooth decay.
Aim for at least 20-30 minutes of gum chewing 2-3 times per day. Make it part of your daily routine by chewing after meals or while doing other tasks. Be patient, as it can take months to see noticeable improvement. But over time gum chewing can help correct mild crowding, spacing, and alignment problems.
Eat More Crunchy Fruits and Vegetables
Crispy fruit and vegetables like apples, carrots, celery, and broccoli require extra chewing, applying light pressure against your teeth. Like gum chewing, aim to eat these crunchy foods daily for natural teeth straightening benefits over time.
Not only do fruits and veggies provide helpful chewing pressure, but several also contain nutrients important for oral health. For example, the vitamin C content helps strengthen teeth and gums while hard textures help clean teeth. Work to fill half your plate with fresh produce at meals and keep washed veggies readily available for easy snacking.
Swish Oil Around Your Mouth
Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic remedy involving swishing oil in your mouth that may offer teeth straightening benefits along with better oral hygiene. Sesame and coconut oil are common choices thanks to their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Place 1-2 teaspoons of your oil of choice in your mouth upon waking in the morning before eating or drinking anything. Gently pull the oil between your teeth and along your gumline for 10-20 minutes then spit it out (not down the drain which could clog). Repeat daily. This practice clears bacteria and helps reduce inflammation for a healthier environment to support teeth shifting into alignment.
Eat Bone Broth with Collagen
Collagen helps form connective tissues like the periodontal ligaments that allow teeth to move into position. Bone broth provides easily absorbed collagen along with amino acids for tissue regeneration. Sipping bone broth with collagen powder can strengthen your gum tissue and enhance overall oral health.
Drink a cup of bone broth once or twice daily. Opt for homemade broth simmered for 12-24 hours using animal bones to extract minerals. Or look for organic broth with ingredients like chicken feet or beef knuckles high in collagen content. Sprinkle a scoop of collagen powder into your mug for an extra boost.
Apply Orthodontic Elastics
Small removable orthodontic elastics offer do-it-yourself straightening when worn between teeth to apply targeted pressure. Placing the elastic between two misaligned teeth encourages them to shift into proper alignment over time through steady yet gentle force. Elastics can also help close minor gaps between teeth.
Ask your dentist for elastics and detailed instructions catered to your specific orthodontic needs. Typically, elastics should be replaced every few hours initially for about 2-4 months as needed until you achieve desired position. Use elastics cautiously and discontinue use if they cause discomfort or damage.
Practice Facial Exercises
Odd as it may seem, specific facial muscle exercises can actually help your teeth settle into straighter alignment naturally. Jaw muscles surround the dental arches and when strengthened through facial exercise, they provide a supportive environment for teeth to shift.
Try cheek clenches: smile with lips closed, tighten cheek muscles, hold 5 seconds, release. Or tongue presses: press entire tongue against roof of mouth, hold 5-10 seconds, rest and repeat. Do these facial exercises for 5 minutes daily while adopting proper oral posture. It retrains muscles for balance that helps teeth align.
Be Patient and Celebrate Small Improvements
While achieving completely straight teeth through natural home methods alone is unlikely without orthodontic treatment, following a combination of these tips can produce subtle yet meaningful improvement over months.
Make efforts daily to chew gum, crunchy produce, practice proper tongue posture, and perform facial exercises for 10-20 minutes per day. Support your progress by swishing oil, drinking bone broth with collagen, or using elastics periodically as needed.
Set realistic expectations for natural teeth straightening methods vs fast professional routes at Chatfield Dental Braces. But through consistency and dedication to these simple practices, you can help guide your teeth into better alignment step-by-step with the help of Invisalign in London. Stay positive by tracking little milestones like a small gap starting to tighten or slightly overlapping teeth becoming less crowded.
Every tiny shift gets your smile closer to the straightness you seek. With patience and daily perseverance, a naturally straighter grin may be more possible than you thought!
The key is applying gentle, constant pressure against your teeth while supporting gums and jawbones through nutrition and exercises. Incorporate as many of these natural strategies as you can consistently for the best chance of straightening your teeth without invasive orthodontics. And as always, consult your Invisalign dentist regularly to monitor your improvement. Contact us for better Invisliagn Offers in London today!
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