Can Braces Change Your Face Shape?
Braces can actually change your face shape, both during treatment and after you are done with your braces. The most common changes occur in patients who have overbites or underbites as the teeth are pulled into a healthy alignment. The most noticeable changes are in patients who have crooked or gapped teeth, as their smile will be the most noticeable. But, some facial changes will occur.
Particularly if you have a large overbite, your alignment issues can make it appear that your lower jaw is not well defined, while if you have a large underbite, you can look like you have a very prominent lower jaw and your cheeks can appear to be sunken in or sallow.
Braces can also make your lips stand out a bit because of the space taken up by the braces themselves. This goes away once you have your braces removed. If you go with the Invisalign clear aligner system, your aligners will fit more closely to your teeth and thus will not push your lips out as much.
We’ll learn more about face changes with braces in a moment, but first let’s learn a bit more about the Invisalign system.
Invisalign is more and more in demand all the time (Tamer İ et al., 2019).
This is because clear aligners or clear braces have some big advantages when it comes to aesthetics, comfort, and oral hygiene over traditional metal braces. Over the last ten years, the popularity of clear braces has taken off (Tamer I et al., 2019).
Because of this demand, companies like Invisalign keep investing in higher technologies and improvements in quality. As a result, they can fix more complex orthodontic issues than ever before (Tamer I et al., 2019).
Can Braces Change Face Shape In Children And Teens?
Kids and teens are still growing, so their jaws and teeth are easier to change. That’s why the ideal time to put braces on a patient is during these years as they have the best change to create the greatest impact on teeth and jaw alignment with before after braces face shape.
Your kids might wonder if this means that the shape of their face will change due to braces, and it’s true, they will have some braces face change. It’s likely that any changes would be subtle.
The matrix that the teeth are in is called the periodontal ligament. As your child’s teeth move as a result of the gentle pressure braces and Invisalign apply, the teeth are set into a new place and then the matrix fills in behind the space. The body creates new bone behind as the old bone is broken down during the movement. Don’t worry, this process won’t make the bone brittle or weak while it affects face shape before and after braces.
The biggest change you will notice is in your child’s smile. They will have nicely aligned teeth and jaws that fit together correctly and give your child the ability to chew food properly, speak letters clearly thanks to the teeth being in the right place for the tongue to strike, and teeth that will not wear down prematurely. And, your child will likely feel more confident so they will smile more with their face change braces.
Can Braces Change Face Shape In Adult?
Much as with children, the teeth and jaws will be pulled into the correct alignment by the braces or Invisalign aligners you use. Your braces change face shape before and after will adjust based on whether you have an overbite or underbite.
As you go through your treatment, you may find that the skin tightens up on the jawline before and after braces face shape thanks to their new placement so wrinkles are less visible, and you look a little younger.
Some other changes you may notice is that since your teeth are correctly aligned and gaps are closed, any lisp you have is corrected. If you had an overbite, you may have a slightly straighter nose because the upper teeth are pulled back and that lengthens that little piece of skin between your nose and upper lip, changing the angle ever so slightly.
As your bones are more dense and set before you got your braces, it will be even more important for you to wear your retainer once the active phase of your braces treatment is over. That way your new teeth alignment will be able to stay in place.
And, like your child, one big change will be your boost in confidence once you get your braces off. Your self-consciousness will be lessened and you just might smile more often.
How Can Braces Affect Your Facial Structure?
Braces for an Overbite – Braces that correct an overbite will draw the upper teeth back and that will lessen an appearance of “buck teeth” and give you a more pleasing profile to your face change after braces.
Braces for an Underbite – Braces that correct an underbite will correct an underslung jaw and reduce strain on the TMJ, as well as help improve your speech patterns because your tongue can strike your teeth correctly. This will also give you a better looking profile as your braces change face.
Braces for an Open Bite – Braces that correct an open bite will help you be better able to close your mouth correctly, and that can change the shape of your face. You will also find that you can breathe better, and any halitosis you have is improved. The mouth may look stretched out due to the open bite, so the shape of your mouth will definitely be changed due to the face change with braces.
Do Braces Make Your Lips Bigger?
Braces can make your lips look bigger while you are wearing them, because there is now an object sitting on your teeth before and after braces face shape. This is temporary, as once you get the braces off you will no longer need to navigate over them.
Also, if you correct a bite issue, your lip positions may change, so that can make your lips look fuller, or smaller, depending on what you correct. If you have questions or concerns, be sure you ask your orthodontist about how braces change lips. They will have already taken face changes into account in their treatment plan, because that is part of what they do!
How Long Do You Need To Wear Braces To Get Results?
The answer is – it depends. Every patient is different, and so every treatment time is different. Generally speaking, you will wear your braces for anywhere from 12-24 months, depending on what you need to have corrected and what type of orthodontic appliances you choose to use.
If you don’t have an orthodontist, we’d love to meet you and answer any questions you may have about braces, or other types of orthodontic treatment. Visit us at ivanovortho.com, or call us today – we can’t wait to meet you!
Reference:
Tamer, İ., Öztaş, E., &Marşan, G. (2019).Orthodontic treatment with Clear Aligners and The Scientific Reality Behind Their Marketing: A Literature Review. Turkish journal of orthodontics, 32(4), 241–246.https://doi.org/10.5152/TurkJOrthod.2019.18083
