For most people, an important reason to get braces is to make a change in their appearance: at the very least, to change their smiles or how their teeth affect their dental and overall health. This is no different for children, who may be in the market to adjust looks before they get too old.
Orthodontists can apply different kinds of braces, including metal or “traditional” braces, ceramic braces, lingual braces, and clear aligner braces. All forms of braces work the same way to realign teeth and straighten smiles.
But can braces or Invisalign treatment change more than just a smile?
The answer is yes and no. It depends, in part, on your facial features and how old you are when you begin wearing braces.
The good news is that any changes to the shape of your face will be good ones. The next questions you may be asking are, “How do braces change my facial features?” and “How much can they change it?”
How Do Braces Change My Mouth Structure?
To understand how braces can change your face shape, you must start by learning about facial symmetry.
Most people do not have perfectly symmetrical faces, although eye, nose, and mouth asymmetries are usually not glaringly apparent. Generally speaking, the more balanced the facial profile or symmetry, the more aesthetically pleasing, which can affect how others perceive attractiveness.
From a dental point of view, facial asymmetries that can affect your appearance and dental health focus on how the upper and lower jaws match up. Some orthodontic issues that affect dental symmetry are overbite, underbite, crossbite, and open bite. Braces treatment can improve these issues by gradually applying pressure on your misaligned teeth and other oral structures that change your face shape.
Underbite
An underbite is when your bottom front teeth protrude behind your upper teeth. This can cause your lower jaw to jut out, contributing to a hard, “square-jawed” appearance. When braces correct an underbite by putting it back into the proper position, your face may appear more natural and softer.
Overbite
An overbite occurs when your top teeth protrude in front of your lower teeth. This condition is also known as “buck teeth.” The asymmetrical effects of an overbite can include the appearance of a frail chin and sunken cheeks. Braces can give a stronger chin by helping the arches of the face to align correctly.
Open Bite
An open bite is a condition in which the teeth do not close when the jaws come together, leaving a gap between the front teeth. An open bite creates facial asymmetries that can make the upper lip stick out and give the mouth an extended appearance.
Braces can correct an open bite by putting your teeth back into a proper vertical jaw alignment, which can significantly improve your smile and make it easier to eat and close your mouth properly.
How Do Braces Change My Face Shape?
Part of orthodontic education and training is to study orofacial anatomy, how braces affect facial symmetry, and how to factor this into your oral health treatment plan. In cases where major orthodontic treatment is necessary and can have a greater impact on your facial appearance, your orthodontist may coordinate with other specialists in drawing up your treatment plan.
The key to understanding how braces change your face shape is how they work on your periodontal ligament. This fibrous connective tissue connects the teeth with the surrounding bone of the jaws.
When the orthodontist adjusts braces, the braces’ pressure on the teeth also applies pressure on the periodontal ligament.
This also causes the bone and tissue cells in your face to change. Some are remodeled, and others grow. This remodeling process contributes to the positive changes in your facial symmetry.
What Parts of My Face Can Braces Treatment Change?
In addition to bite alignment issues like underbite, overbite, and open bite, braces can also significantly improve other major orthodontic concerns that affect facial muscles and structure, such as your jawline and lips.
How Do Braces Change My Jawline?
Orthodontic changes to the jawline are only effective in children whose bone structure and soft tissues are still developing. This is especially true if your orthodontic treatment plan includes orthopedic treatment.
Because adult bone structure is fully developed and set, braces alone will not affect the jawline in adult patients. Oral surgery is necessary for older patients who need help with their jawline alignment.
Can Braces Change My Lips?
Braces can and do affect the shape of your lips. This is because your lips rest against your front teeth, and the positioning of those teeth impacts the appearance of your lips. Also, the brackets of your braces can have a temporary effect during treatment by pushing lips out and making them look fuller.
Overall, braces do not directly affect the tissues of the lips themselves. The positive effect of correcting an overbite, underbite, or open bite condition can make it look like your lips are fuller, but this is an aesthetic change only.
Can Braces Change My Nose Shape?
Some people believe that braces have made their noses look bigger or stick out more than they used to. Similar to the lips, the effect of braces treatment on facial symmetry can make it look like your nose has changed shape. However, this is an optical illusion from changes in the angles between your nose and lips.
Braces have no direct effect on the tissues of your nose.
Does My Age Affect Whether Braces Change My Face Shape?
As we saw above with jawline alignment, the older you are, the less braces will change your facial structure. This is because the teeth, gums, jaw bones, chins, and dental muscles of growing children and adolescents are still developing and are more flexible. This is also why orthodontic treatment is usually suggested for patients in their younger years.
Older patients tend to have harder gums, teeth, and bones. Additionally, oral health issues faced by older patients like gum disease can hinder your body’s ability to produce the bone-growing cells needed for tooth movement. This can lead to teeth shifting back to their original alignment over time, making any changes to your facial shape less noticeable or less permanent.
Although orthodontic treatments can still be helpful in correcting misaligned teeth for older patients, the process is slower, and changes to facial symmetry will not be as noticeable. Still, some older patients may observe some positive effects, like the skin under their chins appearing tighter, softening the appearance of wrinkles, and giving the whole face a more youthful appearance.
Can Invisalign Aligners Change My Face Shape?
Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign clear plastic aligners do not use brackets or wires to create a space between your lips and teeth. This means you may not notice much change in the size of your lips or profile while undergoing Invisalign treatment.
These removable clear aligners are designed to make a minimal impact on your day-to-day routines and activities. They do not change face shape, nose, or jawline noticeably when you are wearing them, making them more appealing to many patients compared to traditional braces.
Your orthodontist can help you decide whether Invisalign is a good choice by evaluating your mouth condition and diagnosing the extent of your dental problems. Invisalign aligners are best for mild to moderate bite problems and may not beare not suitable for more complex orthodontic treatment needs.
Call Ironwood Pediatric Dentistry Today
As we have seen, the extent to which braces or Invisalign aligners can change face shape depends on several considerations. The most important are the severity of the underlying orthodontic issues and the age when you undergo treatment.
If the teeth are only slightly crooked, the positive impact on a facial appearance might be minimal. However, in some cases, these changes can be more significant and might even be a key goal of your child’s treatment plan.
When you consult with one of our child orthodontists at Ironwood Pediatric Dentistry, we will work with you to fully inform you of the underlying dental problems, treatment options, and how these can also affect your facial appearance beyond making for a beautiful smile and improving self-confidence.
If your child needs to see an orthodontist in Scottsdale, Arizona, or if you have any other questions about child orthodontics, call us at (480) 422-4544 to set up a free consultation.
