Yes, orthodontics can change the shape of your face, depending on what type of treatment you receive. Orthodontics are connected to bone movement, whether it is your teeth or your jaws. By moving teeth or jaws into a healthier position, the shape of your face will have some changes. These changes are usually small, but can be noticeable. It is important to note that these changes are normal! Modern orthodontic medicine makes sure that you will still look like you while improving facial symmetry and jaw alignment.
Overall, the changes made to your face when going through treatment are intended to create a more aesthetic and harmonious appearance that has been proven to improve confidence in the majority of patients. Not only are these changes improvements to the visual appearance of your face, they significantly improve and lower the risk for uncomfortable conditions that are caused by teeth misalignment and bite problems.
Braces treatment is usually done during an age where lots of facial changes are already happening in the body from puberty and growth. So for some, like young men, it may seem like there is more movement happening when it really also has to do with normal changes from growing up.
How Can My Face Change When Teeth are Straightened?
When teeth are being moved, there is slight pressure put on each tooth, encouraging it to move according to your orthodontic treatment plan for teeth alignment. Your teeth are connected to your jaw, meaning your body will naturally build and remove cells in the bone and periodontal ligament due to this encouraged movement.
The changes to how your face looks from teeth straightening can depend on the severity of your case. For example, there are some cases where misaligned teeth can cause lips to protrude if the teeth are flared (proclined). Pulling these teeth back into a straight vertical position can improve lip posture and facial profile balance.
Another example is a case where misaligned teeth can cause cheeks to look sunken in. By realigning and straightening teeth, cheeks can look more full and healthy because the teeth are now resting in a better position.
How Can My Face Change with Jaw Alignment Changes?
Jaw alignment changes will cause more noticeable changes in the face than teeth movement. This is because we are adjusting a larger portion of the facial structure. This is known as jaw alignment orthodontic treatment. There are some cases where jaw misalignment is too severe and must require orthodontic jaw surgery to give a more comfortable and healthy outcome.
If your treatment plan involves an expander, this will change the shape of your upper jaw. Usually expanders are installed when the palette is still open. The purpose of a palette expander is to widen narrow upper jaws, this means your upper jaw will widen gradually with treatment. At the end of treatment, your upper jaw bones will likely have fused. Expanding the upper jaw gives us more space to move teeth into a more balanced bite.
Movement of lower jaws is also very common. Many people don’t realize that they have deep bites. When correcting tooth alignment to fix deep bites, the face may look slightly longer as teeth will now be meeting together correctly.
Overbites and underbites will cause noticeable changes. This is where the lower jaw is either significantly pulled farther back than the upper jaw (overbite), or the lower jaw is pushed significantly farther than the upper jaw (underbite). Correcting these alignment issues will definitely change the shape of your face, both from the side profile and face on view.
The Benefits of Treatment
Receiving treatment to improve the alignment of your teeth and jaws is so beneficial in so many ways! This blog post focuses primarily on the overall facial appearance, but treatment will also significantly improve your quality of life. Your facial harmony will be improved in addition to lessening risks of conditions such as jaw pain, gum recession, sleep disorders, and struggles in breathing, talking, and eating.
If you have any questions or want to explore what treatment may look like for you, book an appointment with us! We are happy to help you in any way possible!