Is It Worth It for Me to Get Braces for a Bite Issue (Not Cosmetic)?

I'm 25. My teeth look good & straight and cosmetically it doesn't look like I have a problem. But if you look closely my top and bottom teeth are not exactly in line (the bottom teeth are a few mm to the left) so my bite is not perfect. I noticed wearing on my front teeth and my dentist told me it's because of my bite, that my bottom/top front teeth grind against each other, and that i'm losing enamel at the back of my front teeth, which will only get worse. He told me i can getbraces..thoughts?

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age 25-34 bite

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by novelhs in Los Angeles, CA

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Braces are not just for cosmetics

In fact, most of the time the purpose of braces is functional and not cosmetic. Fortunately, as a "side effect" of orthodontics, people get a beautiful smile (beauty being an opinion). Teeth that fit together correctly when biting are easier to clean, more efficient with chewing food, don't wear down as fast and are less likely to cause sore muscles from poor function. Only you can decide if you should get braces, but there are many benefits.

Bite should be fixed!

Hi... From what you are describing it seems like you have a crossbite and I would definitely recommend that you get it corrected. In a crossbite, your top teeth are inside your bottom teeth. This means that your teeth are hitting in the wrong position. A crossbite can lead to a greater chance of wearing of the teeth, a greater chance of fracturing the teeth, potential grinding and TMJ problems. Crossbites are one of the first issues that we address in more