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Braces are one of the most common types of orthodontic intervention, designed to give people a straight smile and healthy bite.
If you’ve recently found out you need braces or have been thinking about it for a while, you may have some questions regarding how this treatment will impact you. Some people claim that braces can change the shape of your face.
Is that true? And if so, how significant is that change?
Check out the answers below:
The shape of your face is actually determined by many things, not just your bone structure. Muscles and even the position of your teeth can all contribute to how your face looks.
As a result, if you get braces, your face shape may change slightly, albeit the changes are less dramatic for adults than they are for teens. Children and adolescents who are still developing may be impacted more by braces than adults.
Still, even adults can notice a few changes in their appearance after their braces treatment. Your teeth will move to a more proper position, but that means all the soft tissues (such as the lips, or cheeks), will change a bit as well to adjust to the new tooth alignment.
But, you should also know that this is a gradual process, and by the time your treatment ends you’ll most likely be used to your “new” look.
Yes, it can. Invisalign actually works on the same principle as braces. It applies pressure to your teeth and pulls them into the best position.
That new position of the teeth is what may change your appearance slightly. How significant the change is generally depends on the type of misalignment issue you’re dealing with.
Bigger changes usually happen when treating bite issues. For instance, if you’ve always had an underbite, correcting it can cause a significant change in your appearance. Your lower teeth move back, which means the upper lips spots protrude as much.
Moreover, there are some cases where braces alone cannot fix the issue. This usually happens with skeletal malocclusions, where the bite problem is caused by the improper positioning of the jaw bone.
Fixing these malocclusions may even require surgery. Depending on how severe the bite is, the jaw may need to be molded or moved forwards or backward, which will change the way your face looks.
If you are dealing with bite or tooth alignment issues, Dr. John Walsh is here to help you access top-notch orthodontic services that can give you a perfectly straight and happy smile!
Schedule a consultation at Great Bay Orthodontics now, and stop by to unlock your path towards straight teeth.
For more information, call us at (603) 318-2602.
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