How Will Dental Braces Change My Appearance?

Many people are unaware of the extent orthodontic treatment can change their facial profiles and overall appearance. To learn how braces can help improve the aesthetic and function of your smile, be sure to schedule an appointment with one of our orthodontists in Fort Wayne, IN, and surrounding areas.

Here are some of the most common issues that we’re able to treat with dental braces.

Crooked and Crowded Teeth

Crooked teeth not only affect the appearance of your smile, but they can also affect your oral health over time. The good news is that metal or clear ceramic braces exert gentle pressure on your teeth during orthodontic treatment. This moves them little by little into their ideal positions.

You can help reduce teeth staining by practicing good oral hygiene. However, it’s difficult to brush and floss if there isn’t adequate spacing between each tooth. Plaque loves to hide where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. If you have crooked and/or crowded teeth, this means that your enamel may appear more stained over time.

Related: How to Maintain a Healthy Smile with Braces →

Overbite

In the case of an overbite, your chin may not appear as prominent as it should be amongst the other features of your profile. People with overbites may also have protruding upper lips and sunken cheeks. During orthodontic treatment, we’ll be able to correct the alignment of your jaws so your teeth come together nicely.

So much of your appearance depends on the underlying jaw bones and teeth. You might be surprised by how different you could look after we’re able to correct overbite teeth.

Underbite

An underbite can make your chin stick out or make it look as though your jaw is too big for your face. You may also have an underbite if your bottom lip sticks out farther than your upper lip. One of our orthodontists will be able to come up with a plan to straighten teeth and move your jaw back so you can achieve a natural-looking profile. While most of our patients come to us for straighter teeth, many don’t realize their jaws also play a role in how their face looks.

Open Bite

Do your front teeth protrude more than they should? If there’s a space between your upper and lower teeth, our orthodontists may diagnose you with an open bite. This type of jaw condition can make it difficult to close your mouth naturally.

In general, you’re more at risk for an open bite if you have tongue thrust or sucked your thumb as a child. The sooner we can treat an open bite, the better. If your child has an open bite, their orthodontist can help their jaws grow more evenly and encourage them to break bad oral habits like thumb sucking.

Request an Appointment with Us

Still have questions about getting dental braces for either yourself or a member of your family? Our orthodontists in Fort Wayne, IN, and surrounding areas are accepting new patients! To schedule an appointment, please call Parrish Orthodontics at (260) 447-2568. You may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.