Braces are commonly used to straighten misaligned teeth. Corrective braces have a high success rate and help you achieve oral health benefits beyond a beautiful smile and confidence. While your Northridge dentist can recommend them, it is wise to have the right information. This blog post covers ways to tell if you need braces so that you can make an informed decision and know how to keep your smile bright and healthy.

Introducing Braces

If you have an abnormal bite, your dentist can recommend braces to straighten your smile. Correcting malocclusions or bad bites can create a beautiful smile and a healthier mouth. Not correcting an abnormal bite could lead to more oral health issues.

If you are skeptical of braces’ effectiveness, here is your opportunity to decide. Other benefits include the following:

  • Prevents tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease — If you have crowded teeth, you will have challenges cleaning between your teeth using a standard floss and toothbrush. Hard-to-reach areas in the mouth can become hotbeds for tartar and plaque, which, if unremoved, can lead to tooth cavities, decay, or gum disease.
  • Boosts proper digestion — Individuals with misaligned jaws experience restricted jaw movements and painful chewing. Fitting braces corrects teeth and jaw misalignment and helps with chewing and breaking down foods. Well-chewed food aids in digestion and reduces indigestion and heartburn.
  • Prevents bone erosion — Jawbone deterioration is common among patients with misaligned jaws and teeth. When your teeth do not have an opposing tooth structure, it can result in loss of jawbone stimulation and, ultimately, bone erosion. Braces align teeth and offer a better-opposing tooth structure.
  • Boosts confidence and ensures you have a beautiful smile.
  • Improves speech.

Braces use constant and mild pressure to shift your teeth into their desired positions over time. The exact way it occurs depends on your choice of braces.

While braces are common in children and adults, the ideal time for braces is between nine and fourteen. At this age, your facial bones and jaws are still developing and more flexible (malleable). Adult braces can take longer to realize the desired outcomes.

The duration it takes for the treatment to complete depends on the severity of the misalignment.

You Have Challenges Chewing and Biting Foods

Your teeth are stronger when straight than when crooked. When you have proper teeth alignment, your teeth will apply the right amount of pressure when chewing and biting, aiding food breakdown and digestion. Chewing and eating with a misaligned bite will exert uneven pressure on some teeth, resulting in stained or fractured teeth.

Some of the bite issues you can correct with braces include the following:

  • An open bite occurs when the bottom and top teeth do not touch one another when your mouth is fully closed, showing an opening between the bottom and top teeth. There are several open bites, including anterior, posterior, skeletal, and dental. It has various causes, ranging from circumstantial to developmental.
  • An underbite is a misalignment where your lower teeth protrude beyond your upper teeth. Human genes determine the size and shape of teeth and jaws, contributing to underbite development. Other causes include jawbone tumors, genetics, and facial injuries. If left untreated, an underbite can also result in jaw discomfort, tooth decay, speech challenges, and chronic headaches.
  • Overbites — An overbite is when your upper teeth overlap your lower teeth. Various habits during early childhood, when the jaw is still developing, can cause poor teeth positioning. They include tongue thrusting, chewing on hard objects, mouth breathing, long-term bottle use, nail biting, and pacifier use.
  • Crossbite — It happens when your teeth overlap unevenly when in contact. Some teeth protrude over your lower jaw, while others will be behind it.

Temporomandibular Joint

The temporomandibular joint is on both sides of the head, in front of your ears, connecting your lower jaw (mandible) to the skull. It allows the jaw to open and close, permitting you to eat and speak.

While trauma to your joint or jaw is the primary cause of TMJ disorders, other health conditions that contribute to their development include the following:

  • Erosion of your joint.
  • Arthritis.
  • Teeth grinding or clenching.
  • Growth disorders.

Some risk factors linked to the development of TMJ disorders include the following:

  • Joint hypermobility.
  • Female hormones.
  • Poor posture that strains your neck and face muscles.
  • Prolonged stress.

Its symptoms depend on the cause and severity of the condition. Some of the common symptoms include:

  • Pain in the neck or face.
  • Jaw locking.
  • Clicking sound from the TMJ.
  • Tinnitus.
  • Teeth wearing.
  • Limited jaw movement.
  • Headaches.
  • Vertigo.

Dental Crowding

Typically, dental crowding happens when teeth compete for space in your mouth, hence growing wrongly, causing them to be misaligned and twisted. In ideal tooth alignment, your teeth should touch one another without impacting the proper tooth rotation. Your top teeth must hang over your bottom teeth, with every tooth lining up comfortably and snugly whenever you bite. Regrettably, that is not always the case.

Typically, genetics is the primary cause of dental crowding. If the jaw is too tiny, it can affect the teeth’s growth, resulting in crowding. Other causes include the following:

  • Losing your baby teeth prematurely.
  • Atypical tooth growth.
  • Abnormally huge teeth.
  • Extra adult teeth.

Here are several signs and symptoms you can check to determine whether your teeth are crowded:

  • Tooth discomfort on biting.
  • Jaw pain.
  • Challenges chewing and biting.
  • Difficulties with flossing and bruising.
  • Bleeding gums when flossing.
  • Teeth overlapping one another.
  • Jaw pain.
  • Crooked teeth at unnatural angles in the mouth.

Correcting dental crowding with braces is wise because overlapping teeth are hard to clean thoroughly, increasing plaque build-up and bacteria growth. It also prevents the development of issues like:

  • TMJ.
  • Cavities.
  • Gum disease.
  • Toothache.
  • Challenges biting or chewing.
  • Reduced confidence.

Mouth Breathing

Mouth breathing is when you use your mouth instead of your nose.

It can result in more challenges than dry mouth and soggy pillows. It can result in sleep disorders that affect everyday life and facial structure changes. Most patients develop mouth breathing as infants, potentially setting the stage for long-term issues.

Some causes of impact on nasal breathing include nasal congestion, enlarged adenoids, and a deviated septum.

Typically, most mouth breathing affects adults and children similarly. They include:

  • Dry mouth.
  • Bad breath.
  • Drool on pillows.
  • Malocclusion.
  • Behavior challenges like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

You Have Gaps in Your Teeth

You are more likely to have gaps between your teeth if they fail to grow correctly or are misaligned. Your teeth will be too spaced apart, leaving room between them without touching one another.

Typical causes of dental gaps include the following:

  • Skeletal development.
  • Missing teeth.
  • Additional teeth that push other teeth out of their right positions.
  • Losing baby teeth too early.
  • A too-big tongue that leads the teeth to widen, creating spaces between your teeth.
  • Tiny teeth that do not take up the correct amount of room.
  • High frenum attachment.
  • Periodontal disease.

You can tell if you have gaps by looking at your dental formula in the mirror; correctly aligned teeth do not have gaps. Nevertheless, gaps can be subtle and small or in your mouth’s back where you cannot see them.

Flossing is the most effective method to check for gaps in the teeth. Using your floss, wrap your fingers around all ends before inserting the floss between the teeth. If the gaps between the teeth are too huge, you will feel no resistance because the floss slides between the teeth without touching any teeth.

You should consider correcting the dental issue with braces because you can face the following negative consequences once your adult teeth fully erupt:

  • Misaligned teeth.
  • Tooth decay.
  • Challenges chewing, swallowing, or biting.
  • Self-confidence or esteem.
  • Gingival inflammation.

Your Baby Lost Their Baby Teeth Too Late

All children lose their teeth according to their schedule. Simply because your older child lost their initial tooth at age six, that does not mean that will be the case for their siblings.

Focusing on the tooth's fallout pattern is more vital than when your child’s age loses their initial tooth. Here is the conventional pattern of losing teeth: the two bottom middle teeth, the two front teeth, the lower and upper incisors, their lower canines, the lower and upper molars, and finally, the upper canines.

It might not be cause for concern if the minor is a late bloomer. However, losing baby teeth late can result in permanent teeth coming in crowded, crooked, or wrong places. Consult an orthodontist to determine whether braces are the best treatment option.

Your Child Sucks Their Thumb

Thumb sucking is common among toddlers, babies, and school-going children. While the habit provides comfort and helps children fall asleep, it can cause the following detrimental problems:

  • Teeth alignment — A sucked finger or thumb can result in the upper front teeth protruding forward. Additionally, the constant pressure from the hand in the mouth can lead to the lower front teeth tipping forward.
  • Face shape —The shape of your jaws influences your face’s shape. An overbite with the front teeth pushed forward to accommodate the thumb can change your child’s facial shape and overall look.
  • Speech —An open bite or bucked teeth can impact your child’s speech. Front teeth play a huge role in pronouncing letters. A lisp can be heard whenever they pronounce the z and s sounds.
  • Jaw shape —Thumbing sucking can change your child’s jaw shape. Their upper jaw can narrow so it does not match the bottom jaw, resulting in a crossbite. Thumb sucking can also cause an open bite.

A thumb crib is a practical oral appliance that stops thumb sucking. It creates a seal between the palate and the thumb, discouraging thumb sucking. However, with the use of a thumb crib, thumb sucking could still affect your baby’s oral development, especially if your child has developed the habit since infancy.

Braces are the most effective solution for most children to address dental development challenges. Braces can help permanent teeth emerge in the correct position and reduce bite challenges.

Your Jaws Make Clicking Noises

Cartilage connects the bottom and top teeth, allowing them to slide past one another while chewing. However, when a patient has misaligned teeth, their jawbones rub together and make unnerving sounds when eating. Braces can rectify the teeth misalignment.

You Bite Your Tongue Often

It is normal to cut or bite your tongue. However, you should consult a dentist if it occurs often and is painful for too long after the injury happens. The physical will determine whether you are an ideal candidate for braces.

Ideal Time to Visit a Dentist

According to the American Academy of Orthodontists, all children should have dental appointments by age seven. The rationale behind the recommendation is that when a dentist identifies the need for braces early, you are more likely to have improved dental treatment results.

Children without visible slant to their teeth or dental crowding can also benefit from their dental visit.

The ideal age for this treatment varies from patient to patient. Typically, this orthodontic treatment starts between the ages of nine and fourteen once juveniles begin getting permanent teeth.

While using this treatment as a minor is impossible for some patients due to the absence of a diagnosis, inconvenience, or expense, you are never too old for orthodontic treatment. Whenever you are ready to seek treatment, you can book your appointment. You do not require a dental referral to schedule your appointment.

Please note that your jaw grows as you age, which could lead to increased teeth narrowing or crowding. If you wait to treat crowded teeth or an overbite, the issue will not resolve or improve itself. The earlier you consult an expert about this orthodontic treatment, the better.

Find a Competent Orthodontics Dentist Near Me

Have you found at least one of the signs to tell you need braces relatable after reading this blog post? Look at yourself in the mirror, smile widely, and take note of your teeth. The experienced, qualified, and family-friendly at Northridge Advanced Dentistry can examine your teeth and oral health to determine whether you need braces and advise you on the best treatment option. We can help you, whether you want to fix simple aesthetics or serious issues that affect your ability to speak, chew, laugh, or enjoy life. Please call us at 818-701-3010 to schedule your appointment and get an opportunity to work with us to customize a treatment plan that will offer the teeth functionality and elegant smile you need and deserve.