Braces can help you craft a straighter, more beautiful smile if you have misaligned or crooked teeth. It’s also no secret that a successful orthodontic treatment can improve your teeth and bite. Still, you might wonder, do braces change face structure?
As a leading orthodontist in New Orleans, LA, Dental Arts of New Orleans is well-versed in common orthodontic treatment effects such as changes to facial structure. In this post, we’ll talk about how braces can potentially change the way your face looks.
What to Know About Braces and Facial Structure Changes
Do braces change face structures? You might know how a good smile improves your mood, but you might not realize that improving your smile with braces can change your facial structure.
In many cases, facial changes from braces are subtle. Yet, if you have an overbite or underbite from a misaligned jaw, treating the orthodontic issue with jaw alignment braces can result in a more noticeable shift as your jaw gently moves into its correct position. These changes are positive and can potentially improve your oral health by correcting bite and dental balance problems.
Children and young adults whose bodies are still developing are most likely to experience drastic improvements to their facial structure after wearing braces. Their teeth, gums, muscles, and jawbones are still flexible, allowing for more ideal shifting of their teeth and jaws. Adults can also experience positive changes from wearing braces, but unaddressed dental issues and poor oral hygiene can hinder progress.
Before getting braces, consider these facts about how the treatment can change various aspects of your physical appearance.
Braces and Facial Symmetry
An overbite is an orthodontic problem that causes the top teeth to protrude too far out in comparison to the bottom teeth. An underbite is the opposite problem, resulting in noticeable lower jaw protrusion. Either issue can cause the lower half of your face to look imbalanced.
Orthodontic treatments like braces can address underbites and overbites by gently moving the jaw into its correct position. This shift leads to enhanced facial symmetry. Wearing braces to treat an overbite can also eliminate the appearance of a weak chin and sunken cheeks, which is common with that condition.
Braces and Jawline Improvement
Your orthodontist’s primary goal is to correct your misaligned bite while ensuring you have good oral health. If you want to alter your jawline, wearing braces can help. Yet, for drastic changes, wearing the braces along with functional appliances, elastics, or expansion appliances is best.
Braces and Lip and Mouth Changes
Your mouth might look a little different after wearing braces depending on your specific dental or jaw misalignment. For instance, people with an open bite can’t fully or comfortably close their lips due to the position of their teeth. As a result of the malocclusion, people with open bites often have mouths that look stretched. Wearing braces to treat an open bite can improve the shape of a person’s mouth.
Orthodontic treatments like braces can also make lips appear fuller which has to do with the alignment of front teeth. Wearing braces to push your front teeth into more desirable positions can make your lips look fuller and more prominent.
These physical changes can do wonders for transforming your smile. Not only will you have straighter teeth and a more symmetrical jawline but your lips and smile may also look more attractive and straighter with less dental crowding.
Contact Us To Experience Major Smile Improvements
Do braces change face structures? We at Dental Arts of New Orleans know that orthodontic treatments like braces positively affect facial appearance and your ability to bite, chew, and speak.
Our highly experienced, compassionate, and board-certified orthodontist, Dr. Brent Benoit, specializes in orthodontic treatments for children, teens, and adults. Whether you’re interested in braces for kids or for yourself, we can assess your needs and oral health to create a personalized treatment plan. Start your smile transformation today. Call Dental Arts of New Orleans at (504) 394-5330 to schedule an appointment with our dental professionals.
