Braces have been used as a cosmetic treatment for several years now. Millions of kids start wearing braces every year. It has several functions, like improving your teeth‘ alignment or enhancing its appearance. Not only this, but sometimes medical reasons influence it as well.

However, the process and other related things might not be that complex when you look into it deeply.

It’s not just children who have the option of braces; adults are equally interested in and invest in the idea of wearing braces for similar reasons.

1. Why do People Wear Braces?

1.1. Cosmetic Procedure

Some people have an overbite when the teeth on the hard palate are further ahead than the lower teeth, or an underbite, where the lower teeth are farther than the upper teeth.

Sometimes, there are huge gaps between one tooth and another. To fill in those gaps, people use braces. Let’s illustrate this with an example. Suppose your incisors (the front teeth) have a gap of at least half a centimetre; braces can help fix this issue.

Braces are used to correct chipped, misaligned, and other teeth issues. How is this done? When braces exert the required pressure on the wrongly positioned tooth or teeth, they force them to align with the other teeth.

Braces can be used to fill out facial imbalances, too. This helps to balance out and improve the overall appearance.

1.2. Medical Reasons

Braces are used for several reasons. When the teeth are not spaced properly, it can cause severe jaw pain because the muscles in these areas tend to work harder when spacing is not accurate enough.

Teeth gaps can also create a channel for the consumed food to fill those spaces. These can help develop bacteria and other harmful germs that can lead to cavities or serious problems if not treated in time.

2. How do Braces Work?

First of all, you need to understand that there are different types of braces: metal, ceramic, lingual, Invisalign, and some more. The best depends on your case and what you find more suitable for yourself.

The one thing common to all braces is that, once inserted, they exert the pressure required to push the teeth towards the desired position.

This procedure has a whole scientific explanation of how it goes about.

3. Do Braces Change Your Face Shape?

Now that we’ve learned that braces can change how your teeth appear, we will answer the main question. Do braces change the way you look?

The short answer is, YES, they do change your facial appearance.

But how exactly?

3.1. Your Smile

The very obvious change is your smile. Once the length of your teeth has been evened out, your smile will appear much more structured.

3.2. Facial Symmetry

The face symmetry has been known to improve significantly once you start wearing braces. When your teeth are not positioned properly, or your gums are too outward, it can lead to bad facial symmetry.

If you go through the prescribed procedure, you will most likely have better face symmetry.

3.3. Bone Structure

There are also significant changes in the bone structure. We know this sounds a little weird, but several medical experts say it is possible.

4. Do Braces Improve Your Jawline?

When we say the misaligned teeth and extra spaces are brought to the correct level, it is obvious that the jaw bone will appear very different from before.

For instance, when you have an underbite, your jawline feels more elongated towards the front. On the contrary, your jaw would appear more drawn back when you have an overbite.

When you have perfectly aligned teeth, your jawline will likely appear better-looking or more appealing to the eye.

5. Impact of Age on The Way Your Face Changes

In most cases, you can fix your teeth from your 10s to your 40s; age doesn’t create any restrictions on having braces. Anyone, from a child to a teenager to a middle-aged man, can have the orthodontic procedure done on them.

But what might vary is the effectiveness of it and how it changes your face.

For the younger age groups, that is, the children and teenagers, the change in the face shape will likely be more prominent as their body parts are still developing and are more flexible. Therefore, most people tend to get their braces at a younger age.

However, there can be a substantial change in appearance, but not as great as the former. In most cases, the patient might appear younger than before the braces were installed.

6. Do Braces Change Your Cheekbones?

When braces are serving their purpose and your face is getting the complementary amendments, your cheeks will appear fuller and less stressed.

This is because your teeth and jaw are being aligned. This does not mean that your cheekbones are shifting shapes. According to some medical experts, cheekbones will remain the same, and only the outer appearance will change.

Cheekbones will appear sharper and more defined.

7. How do You Ensure That The Changes are Permanent?

The parts of your mouth affected by the orthodontic treatment are still tender and have not fully adjusted to the change.

On that side, there is a high chance that your teeth will return to their former position, undoing all the results of your efforts and struggles. But fear not! Retainers are at your rescue.

All patients must wear a retainer after their braces are removed. Retainers keep the loosened gums, jaw, and teeth in their new position, not allowing them to return to their earlier position.

There are two types of retainers: permanent retainers and removable retainers. Either special in their function but fixated in different places. Depending on your case, your orthodontists will prescribe the kind of retainer you should use.

8. FAQs

8.1. Do Braces Hurt?

If you have somebody who has braces or if you have researched about it, you will know that the discomfort provided by braces is real and cannot be understated. It’s not just your teeth that’ll feel pain but your jaws and sometimes your cheekbones.

Why does it happen? Because the pressure that metal exerts on any braces is a lot. However, it would be best to realize that this pressure is needed to fix your teeth. If you know that you can’t take the pain that will be exerted during that process, then don’t go forward with the procedure.

You must also understand that braces often lead to an enhanced and better overall facial look. A little bit of pain is worth it here.

8.2. Does It Change The Shape of the Mouth or Lips?

When your teeth go inwards due to the pressure and are forced to align with the lower or upper set of teeth, you will tend to notice that the lips or your mouth also get altered along with it.

This is quite noticeable as having teeth pushed outward would also mean the mouth or the lips seem elongated at the front.

Once your teeth have been corrected, you will find it easy to close your mouth or seal your lips compared to the difficulty you faced when they were not fixed.

In brief, yes, braces do significantly change your face. This orthodontic treatment will affect your jaw alignment, teeth alignment, and everything else. Yes, age will affect how many changes you will witness in your face. But as we’ve mentioned in our article, it is variable from one case to another.

Speak to your orthodontist if you want braces, and ask them what needs to be done in your case.

Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by Annanya Chakraborty