Do Braces Change Your Face Shape?

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Most people who have crooked or misaligned teeth prefer to go for dental braces. To straighten their smile and correct their bite issues. In addition, these orthodontic appliances can even help improve oral health. Getting dental braces can happen at a crucial time in one’s life.

If you are considering dental braces, you might be wondering what to expect. From dental braces treatment, how braces can change a smile, and do braces change your face shape. Continue reading this page till the end to get answers to what you may be looking for.

What are Dental Braces?

Dental braces a.k.a. orthodontic cases are the teeth straightening or aligning devices. That helps guide the misaligned or crooked teeth to their correct position. Braces are composed of wires, brackets, and bands. They can aid in correcting irregular teeth positioning and jaw issues. They help improve chewing ability and smile aesthetics.

There are various types of braces available. This includes metal or ceramic conventional, metal self-ligating, lingual, and clear braces.

A dental brace is a trusted, effective, and versatile option for improving smile appearance. Whether the dental concern is an overbite, underbite, open bite, crooked teeth, or crossbite. For most people, the duration of orthodontic treatment with braces typically is 12 to 18 months long.    

Do Dental Braces Change the Shape of the Face?

Braces & Facial Structure: Relation Discussed

The short answer to this question is a YES! Orthodontic tools such as dental braces can change the shape of the face- including the jawline, chin, mouth, and lips. The body reacts to how dental braces help in teeth shifting to their right position inside the mouth. Therefore it’s likely that face shape also gets altered.

However, the changes seen are only positive. When orthodontists provide the patient with dental braces. All the balance and bite issues will be corrected all at once. The face looks more symmetrical and the jaws and mouth appear more natural.

How can Dental Braces Change the Shape of the Face?

Dental braces work by exerting light and constant pressure on the periodontal ligament. A periodontal ligament is the fibrous connective tissue structure.  That attaches the tooth to the surrounding jawbone.

As all the components of dental braces (wires, brackets, and bands) apply pressure. The body responds by producing the growing and destroying cells of the jawbone. In order to remodel the jawbone shape. This ultimately changes the shape of the face.

After, dental braces are placed inside the mouth. Orthodontists carefully adjust the pressure applied to the teeth throughout the treatment. This ensures that the final results obtained are optimal and that any facial changes that take place are beneficial.

The personalized adjustments of dental braces may involve adding additional bands, changing wires, and others. Dental braces can help correct major orthodontic problems. When these bite issues get fixed, dramatic changes occur in the facial muscles. That can enhance the facial structure entirely.

These bite problems that influence facial shape includes:

• Under bite- This problem takes place when the lower teeth set is positioned in front of the upper teeth set. It leads to protruding lower jaw. Dental braces can help correct the such imbalance in teeth positioning and allow the lower jaw to appear more symmetrical with the remaining facial features. As a result, the facial features appear softer and more natural. A remarkable difference is quite noticed in the face shape before and after dental braces treatment.

• Over bite- This orthodontic problem occurs when the bottom teeth are in their normal position. While, the top teeth stick too far away from the bottom teeth. When this happens, there is a considerable change in the shape of the jawline. There is the appearance of sunken cheeks and a frail chin.

However, with the use of dental braces, the facial structure appears more symmetrical. The dental braces assist in correctly bringing the dental arches together and the bite to get aligned. So that a stronger chin and jawline can be developed.

• Open bite- This bite issue is characterized by an extended appearance of the lips and mouth. Here, the upper teeth may jut out and even in severe cases, the mouth may not even get normally shut.

Dental braces can help treat such bucked teeth with ease. They work to pull the teeth together in a more vertically aligned position. As a result, the smile and functionality of the teeth get improved considerably and the mouth can be properly closed.

• Cross bite- This variant of malocclusion occurs when the upper teeth fit behind the lower teeth while the mouth is kept shut or at rest. It can affect the teeth in both front of the mouth and back of the mouth and have a negative influence on facial appearance too.

Dental braces can help align the teeth properly and let one get a healthy, beautiful smile. That is symmetrical with the rest of the facial features.

What Factors can Influence the Way Dental Braces Can Alter the Facial Shape?

After knowing that dental braces have the potential to change the face shape. It’s important to be aware that every patient does not get the same changes or extent of alteration in the facial shape.

The degree to which dental braces may affect the face shape depends upon the age of the patient and circumstances. Therefore, speaking to trusted and experienced orthodontists in Chicago about it is always the best thing to do. As before getting dental braces installed in the mouth.

Children, adolescents, and young adults have their bodies still developing. Their gums, teeth, jawbone, and muscles are more flexible. Dental braces for such age-group people can have a great impact on their development. That’s why dental braces treatment is recommended often for teenagers or young adults.

However, adults have their teeth, gums, and jawbone much harder and less malleable. These mouthparts become less prone to changes. Furthermore, with advancing age, poor oral hygiene and other dental concerns like periodontitis greatly affect the body’s ability to change. As it might result in reduced production of bone-growing cells as the teeth with braces move.

This means the teeth are more likely to get back to their earlier position in the mouth. In such cases, it becomes necessary to take good care of teeth and gums. To ensure the best results from orthodontic treatment with braces. Do you have questions about braces and how do braces change your face shape and teeth alignment? Contact our First Point Dental dentists for information about orthodontic treatment and to schedule an appointment.