People sometimes think braces are the best way to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. While this orthodontic treatment can correct several dental and jaw-related issues, it’s unsuitable for everybody. Knowing how to know if you need braces will help you determine whether this treatment is realistically necessary.
We offer different types of braces in Metairie, LA, for our patients at Maldonado Orthodontics. If you’re wondering if this orthodontic treatment is best for you, continue reading to learn why it’s usually necessary.
Is It Time To Get Braces? Here’s What You Should Know
Dental braces can do more than improve the way you look and smile. Yet, it’s also a major orthodontic treatment that can take years to complete to produce the desired results, depending on the type and severity of your orthodontic issues.
The treatment works by gently shifting teeth into better positions. Although it aids in smile transformations, the corrections dental braces provide can also improve one’s speech and ability to bite and chew.
Want to know how to know if you need braces? Consider the most common orthodontic problems below.
Overbites, Crossbites, and Underbites
Even if your teeth appear straight, they could still have improper positioning. When you close your mouth, your upper teeth should be slightly ahead of the bottom row. The upper and lower sets should barely touch or have a tiny space between them.
Differences in this ideal lineup can indicate common alignment problems, such as:
- Overbite. An overbite occurs when the top row sticks out too far from the lower set of teeth.Â
- Underbite. With underbites, the bottom row of teeth protrudes ahead of the upper ones.Â
- Crossbite. If you have a crossbite, an upper tooth overlaps a lower one.Â
Although overbites, underbites, and crossbites sound relatively harmless, they can create serious problems. For instance, crossbites can lead to breathing and speaking problems, and overbites can cause jaw pain and headaches. Getting braces is a great way to correct these dental alignment issues and enjoy a higher quality of life.Â
Jaw Misalignment
Sometimes it’s the jaw that needs the most help, which orthodontic treatments can provide. Jaw misalignment can cause many complications, including gum disease and tooth decay.
When learning how to know if you need braces, pay attention to how your jaw feels when you open and close your mouth. Does it hurt to chew food? Do you hear clicking noises when you chew or talk?
If the answer is yes to either question, your jaw may have an alignment issue. Braces may be the answer to this problem, but you’d need to consult a qualified orthodontist to explore your treatment options.
Dental Gaps
Gaps between teeth cause each tooth near the void to shift toward each other, which can eventually lead to crooked teeth. Fortunately, braces can gently close the gap and prevent unnecessary dental shifting.
Dental Crowding
If there isn’t enough space in your mouth for all your teeth, you have crowded teeth. As they erupt from the gums, they might push forward and backward or overlap each other due to the lack of space within the jaw. This is a painful problem to have, so it’s usually better to fix it with an orthodontic treatment sooner rather than later.
Crooked Teeth
People often seek orthodontic services to fix crooked teeth. Crooked or misaligned teeth are not as visually appealing as straight ones. Yet the crookedness can also cause problems with chewing and dental cleaning, which makes people more vulnerable to gum disease and tooth decay.
Enjoy a Better Smile With Help From Our Professional Orthodontic Treatments
Thanks to our years of dental and orthodontic experience, Maldonado Orthodontics knows how to know if you need braces. Our board-certified orthodontists and support staff treated thousands of satisfied patients throughout Metairie, Louisiana, and the surrounding areas. Our Metairie orthodontist specializes in providing personalized treatments for children, teens, and adults.
Do you have more questions about braces? Maldonado Orthodontics is here to help—call (504) 455-5581 today to request a consultation.
