Can Braces Change Your Face Shape?

Braces can be a necessity for straightening your teeth and enhancing your overall smile. Dr. Taddeo in East Orlando can help you determine if braces are the right solution for your smile. If you're like most, you have a lot of questions about braces. One of the most popular questions is if braces will change the shape of your face.
 

Using Braces in East Orlando

Braces can be used to treat a wide variety of dental issues, including underbite and overbite. They can affect the overall shape of your face over time. However, how they affect the shape will vary widely depending on many factors that are unique to you.

For example, let's say that you currently suffer from underbite. In this situation, the bottom jaw protrudes out and causes the bottom teeth to sit out further than the top teeth. Using braces will bring the lower teeth and jaw back into alignment with the overall face. You'll notice a more natural look once your treatment is finished. The complete opposite holds for an overbite patient.
 

Periodontal Ligament Pressure

All braces work by applying pressure on the periodontal ligament. This ligament is comprised of fibrous connective tissue that's responsible for attaching your teeth to their surrounding bones. As your braces apply light pressure to change the orientation of the teeth, your body will naturally produce cells that destroy or grow the bones to which your teeth are attached. This causes the bones in your mouth to gradually undergo remodeling to fit the new desired position of your teeth.
 

A Note About Age

Your age is going to have a big impact on how much your braces will affect the overall shape of your face. Adolescents and growing children are proven to have more flexible teeth, gums, chins, dental muscles, and jaw bones. This flexibility allows for more reshaping of the face than in adults or elderly patients. For this reason, most braces are reserved for use on preteens and teenagers.

While braces are well-known by orthodontists to change the shape of the face, this is taken into account during their treatment plan. As your teeth become repositioned with your braces, Dr. Taddeo will constantly be checking the pressure levels. He'll make any necessary adjustments to ensure adequate pressure is placed in a way that ensures any reshaping to your face is desirable.

If you're interested in getting braces in East Orlando, then contact Dr. Ross Taddeo today.