A healthy and beautiful smile can make you feel good and confident. If you have misaligned or crooked teeth, one way to improve your smile is through dental braces. A common question most people ask is: how can you tell whether you require braces? You could be a good candidate for braces if you have gapped, overlapping, or crooked teeth. There are many braces, from conventional metal braces to contemporary ones. If you suspect you need braces, contact an experienced dentist. A dentist will examine you and determine the most suitable dental procedure.
Signs That You Require Braces
Various signs can indicate that you require braces. The signs include overcrowding, crooked or creaking teeth, and noticeable gaps between your teeth. These are all signs that you need orthodontic treatment. Brushing or flossing your teeth can be challenging if they appear crooked or spaced apart. Misaligned teeth can encourage plaque buildup and increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Consult an orthodontist if you notice any of these signs. Your dentist will advise you on the appropriate treatment, like Invisalign or braces.
Below are the common signs that you need braces:
Clicking Noises In Your Jaw
Typically, cartilage connects the top and bottom jawbones. The cartilage lets the top and bottom jawbones slide past each other when chewing. Your jawbones could rub against each other or click if your teeth are misaligned. You require braces if your jaw clicks or makes unnerving sounds when you eat.
You Bite Your Tongue Often
It is not unusual to bite your tongue occasionally. However, get checked out by an orthodontist if this happens often and the pain persists long after the initial injury occurs. An orthodontist will advise you whether braces are right for you.
You Have An Open Bite
An open bite is also known as malocclusion. Malocclusion means having teeth that do not meet properly when a patient closes their mouth. Your dentist can recommend braces if most teeth do not touch or seem misaligned in an average bite.
A Crossbite
You could suffer from a crossbite if your upper tooth crosses the lower teeth. You could develop breathing and speaking problems if you do not address a crossbite.
Over or Underbite
Overbite and underbite are dental conditions whereby your jaws or teeth click because they are misaligned. This could cause the upper row of your teeth to protrude far in front of the bottom teeth. Braces can effectively correct this alignment issue because overbite and underbite often result from crooked teeth or other jaw problems.
Gaps and Spaces Between Teeth
Your dentist can recommend braces if there are spaces or gaps between your teeth. If you are missing one or more teeth, the nearby teeth will move into the space created by the gaps. This hinders you from chewing food comfortably and efficiently, as if all your natural teeth were intact.
In other situations, the spaces or gaps could cause the remaining teeth to move and become crooked, which could cause a problem. Braces can close the spaces and prevent the nearby teeth from sliding around or becoming crooked.
Teeth Crowding
You are also a good candidate for braces if your teeth are crowded, crooked, or misaligned on the upper or bottom rows. It is always advisable that you act fast to fix this problem before it escalates.
Additional Signs That You Need Braces
Additional signs that you need braces include:
- Teeth grinding and clenching
- Problems when chewing
- Bad breath since misaligned or crooked teeth are hard to clean
- Speech difficulties that arise because of a poor bite — you can have a challenge pronouncing some sounds because of your tongue's position below your teeth
- Fatigue or stress on your jawline after you chew food
How To Know If Your Child Needs Braces
It can be challenging to know if your child needs braces. Your child will probably require braces in the future if he/she exhibits the following signs:
- Thumb-sucking or using a pacifier past the age of two
- Breathing through the mouth
- Teeth that are crowded or crooked
- Teeth that do not come together even when the mouth is closed completely
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Susceptibility to biting the tongue, roof of the mouth, or inside of the cheeks accidentally
- Jaws that click or make other sounds
When To Consult An Orthodontist
According to the American Academy of Orthodontics, a child should have an appointment with an orthodontist no later than seven years. Early treatment can improve the outcome when a need for braces is identified. A child with slant or no visible crowding can also benefit from a check-in with a dentist.
However, the appropriate age for securing braces varies from one child to another. It is often recommended that a child acquire braces from age nine to 14 when children begin growing permanent teeth.
Treatment with braces, however, might not work for some children. Most children do not access orthodontic treatment when they need to. This can be due to a lack of diagnosis, inconvenience, or insufficient money to cover the treatment costs. Most people postpone their children's orthodontic treatment until they are adults.
Braces are suitable at any age. You should consult a dentist when you notice a need for dental braces. Schedule an appointment with a dentist whenever you can pursue crooked or crowded teeth treatment.
You do not require a dentist's referral to make an appointment with an orthodontist. A child's jaw will continue to grow as he/she gets older, which can cause increased narrowing or crowding of teeth. An overbite or crooked teeth problem cannot improve or resolve itself without proper treatment. It is best to consult a professional about acquiring braces early.
How Braces Straighten Teeth In Adults And Children
Dental braces are devices used to correct malocclusion or misaligned jaws, crooked teeth, and crowding. Typically, braces are used during adolescence, but more adults receive corrective dental braces later in life.
Braces are made of wires, ceramic, or metal, and bonding material attaches them to a person's teeth. An orthodontist is an expert with skills in handling braces and offering treatment for misaligned teeth.
The success rates of braces vary depending on a person's age when treatment commences. It also depends on a person's treatment goals. Braces are effective, but their effectiveness also depends on the individual. How much you benefit from braces will depend on your ability to follow your orthodontist's instructions carefully.
Your orthodontist will consider the following factors before recommending a particular braces for you:
- Your age
- Whether you have an overbite apart from having crooked teeth
Braces are custom-made and individual to every person's needs. Classic braces are often made of metal brackets glued individually to each tooth. An archwire exerts pressure on the patient's jawline and teeth. An elastic O-ring connects the archwire to the brackets. The archwire is adjusted periodically as your teeth slowly move into the desired place. The elastic bands are switched out during your orthodontic appointments.
The other common types of braces include:
- Aligner trays or invisible braces that can be taken off and put back on throughout the day
- Lingual braces that are placed behind your teeth
- Ceramic clear braces that are less visible.
After completing treatment with traditional braces, your orthodontist can give you retainers. Retainers are aligner trays used to hold a person's teeth in their new place.
How Braces Move Teeth
Braces move a patient's teeth by putting constant pressure on them for a long time. The shape of the patient's jaw adapts gradually to adhere to this pressure. Most people always believe that a person's teeth are connected directly to the jawbone, making them hard to move. However, a membrane beneath the gums attaches the teeth to the jaw. The membrane controls the position of the teeth and responds to the pressure braces exert on the teeth.
Bracket Adhesion
Plastic, ceramic, or stainless steel brackets are applied to your teeth using glue after your teeth are clean and dry. You could feel uncomfortable when brackets are applied, but generally, the procedure is not painful. The brackets enhance even pressure application to the teeth. Wires of copper titanium, nickel-titanium, or stainless steel connect the brackets.
Elastic Bands
Elastic bands, called O-rings or ligatures, are placed around the brackets. Once they are on the teeth, they exert pressure on the jaw.
Spacers
Spacers consist of metal rings or rubber bands. An orthodontist can place spacers between the molars during a dental appointment. The spacers push the jaw forward by increasing space at the back of the mouth. They also create space for the braces if the back of the mouth is too tight to fit them well.
Archwires
Archwires join the brackets on the teeth. They are the mechanism via which pressure is exerted for the teeth to move into position. Archwires consist of copper titanium, nickel-titanium, or stainless steel.
Buccal Tube
Buccal tubes are metal parts that can be attached to one of the molars. They hold the other parts of the braces together at the back of the mouth. An orthodontist can release and tighten different parts of the braces.
Springs
Sometimes, coil springs are placed on the archwire of braces. They exert pressure between two teeth, pushing them apart and adding space.
Facebow Headgear
The requirement for headgear is uncommon, but your orthodontist can recommend that it be worn at night. Headgear is a band that attaches to braces to exert extra pressure on the teeth when special correction is required.
Whether Braces Hurt
You will not feel pain when the braces are being installed. However, you can feel uncomfortable in the days following initial placement, during, and after adjustments. The pain of braces is like throbbing or dull soreness. You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you experience pain after having braces placed in your mouth.
Typically, the treatment period for the braces varies from one person to another. However, you could wear braces for one to three years. You can wear braces for the shortest time if you follow your orthodontist's instructions carefully.
Mini-Braces
Unlike traditional braces, mini-braces are smaller. They occupy less space in your mouth because they do not go around your teeth. Some orthodontists argue that if you are eligible for mini-braces, they could speed up your treatment time. You should consult your orthodontist to determine if you qualify for mini-braces.
How Braces Work For Adults Compared to Children
There are advantages to starting braces treatment early. An adolescent's jawline and underlying tissue are more flexible than an adult's. At this point, the jawline and teeth could be more responsive to movement. The healing time will also be faster if the teeth respond to the braces treatment. On the other hand, there are some adjustments that braces cannot accomplish if the teeth and jaw have stopped growing.
When you are an adult who wants braces, you should consider some additional factors. If you are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant, consult your OB-GYN about the effect of braces on your pregnancy. You should also consult your doctor if you have underlying health conditions.
Alternatives to Braces
Invisible, ceramic, and metal braces are popular teeth-straightening treatments. However, teeth-straightening surgery is the only practical alternative to orthodontic braces. The surgical procedure can be minor, such as changing how your teeth are aligned, or major, such as surgically realigning your jaw to enhance better chewing and speaking.
Find an Experienced Orthodontist Near Me
Whether considering dental braces for yourself or your loved one, you should make an appointment with an orthodontist. How do you know whether you need braces? You should look for common signs, including misaligned, crowded, or gapped teeth. Ultimately, whether you are a good candidate for braces is best left to the professionals. At Lasting Impressions Dental Spa, we believe that each smile is unique. Therefore, we do not employ a one-size-fits-all approach when offering orthodontic treatment to our patients. Our dentists provide no-obligation assessments to our clients in Encino, CA. We will perform a comprehensive dental examination during the initial consultation to determine if orthodontic treatment is appropriate for you. Contact us at 818-751-5100 to book a consultation with one of our orthodontists.
