How Can Braces and Invisalign Change Your Facial Shape?
There are many dental issues, or malocclusions, that braces, and Invisalign can fix. Crooked teeth, underbite, and overbite to name just a few, and dependent on the severity of your malocclusion, the changes that orthodontic treatment can provide can make your facial features appear different.
If, for example, you have braces or Invisalign fitted to correct a crossbite, overbite, or underbite, then the angle between your nose and lips can change and sometimes between your chin lip, making your nose and other facial features appear different.
How Do Braces and Invisalign Work?
Both braces and Invisalign work to achieve the same results, by gently applying pressure to the teeth to move them into the desired position. Braces such as fixed metal braces, lingual and ceramic braces require brackets to be fitted to your teeth and a wire run through them which is adjusted by your orthodontic practitioner to achieve the desired amount of movement. Rubber bands can also be fitted to manipulate the teeth and jaw in more severe cases.
Invisalign are clear aligners made from clear, medical grade thermoplastic and they work by applying controlled force to different parts of your teeth, which changes with every new set of aligners you receive. Rubber bands can also be fitted to Invisalign trays to align the upper and lower teeth.
How Does This Impact Facial Shape?
The movement caused by your braces or Invisalign also causes your lips and jaw to move into new positions too, which again is what can cause changes in facial appearance. The more severe your malocclusions are, the more noticeable a change in the facial shape you will see. Someone with crooked teeth but a normal bite will likely see no changes in their facial shape at all, but those with an underbite or overbite, where the jaw either protrudes or recedes, will see a much more pronounced change in facial appearance.
What Issues Can Braces and Invisalign Help with and How Do They Impact Facial Shape?
Underbite
An underbite causes the jaw to stick out as the lower teeth sit in front of the upper teeth and this can cause difficulty biting, eating, and closing the mouth. Braces and Invisalign can correct this by helping the upper and lower teeth to come together properly, causing a change in facial appearance.
Overbite
An overbite is when the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth vertically. Invisalign and braces can help to correct the position of the teeth, opening the gap up to increase support for the lower lip.
Open bite
This is where the upper and lower teeth do not meet and can make biting, chewing, and resting the lips together difficult. Correcting an open bite with braces or Invisalign relies on the front teeth, allowing them to close properly by closing the space between the lower and upper teeth. Closing an open bite can be challenging with braces or Invisalign alone, you may require orthognathic surgery.
When is The Best Time to Seek Orthodontic Treatment?
Your braces or Invisalign treatment will be most effective the younger you are, as your skeleton is yet to finish growing and is therefore much softer and more malleable, making manipulation of the jaw much easier and correcting malocclusions quicker. That’s not to say that you cannot seek orthodontic treatment once growth is complete, all types of braces and Invisalign are extremely powerful and efficient tools for correcting dental issues and achieving the smile you desire.
In extremely severe cases, orthodontic surgery may be needed before braces or Invisalign are fitted but this is still viable to correct most orthodontic issues, giving better angles to your facial features, aligning your teeth, and enhancing your bite.
Northenden House Orthodontics: Expert and friendly orthodontists Manchester.
Do you want to find out more about how you can enhance your smile? If you're looking to seek braces or Invisalign, Manchester based Northenden House Orthodontics has a team of highly qualified and friendly orthodontists and orthodontic practitioners, who have undergone extensive training and utilise the latest technological advances to ensure you receive the most effect treatment possible.
We specialise in Invisalign and other forms of friction-free, traditional braces as well as striving to ensure you receive treatment in the shortest time, without removing teeth where possible, a treatment plan that includes all costs and that provides a smile to last a lifetime.
Call our friendly team at Northenden House Orthodontics, your local orthodontists in Manchester and book your initial consultation today.
- Mohammad Malik
