You might have heard that Invisalign or braces could give you a sharper jaw or perhaps you’ve spotted a slight change to your friend’s facial features after undergoing orthodontic treatment.
The purpose of orthodontic treatment is to improve your bite and oral health. Its benefits also extend to improving the appearance of your smile, and if you’re wondering about its impact on your face shape, read on to find out!
What determines your face shape?
The structure of your face shape is set by your facial bones such as the brow bone, jaw bone and check bone.
Among some individuals, crooked teeth, also known as malocclusion, can have an impact towards your facial appearance as well. For instance, an underbite can cause your lower jaw to protrude, an overbite can cause your upper lip to protrude and a crossbite can cause severe facial asymmetry.
This leads to the ultimate question – if malocclusion can be corrected with the help of Invisalign or braces, does this mean that it can correct or adjust your face shape?
The impact of orthodontics
The answer is a yes and no.
Invisalign or braces cannot change your facial structure such as your jaw line. If you are looking to reshape your jaw, surgical intervention will be required and you will be referred to a surgeon to achieve the desired change.
However, correcting the alignment of your teeth can help to resolve malocclusion issues and, in some cases, camouflage mild skeletal discrepancies to a certain degree. These changes are often subtle but they can have a huge impact on your overall appearance.
The impact also varies depending on your age, with teenagers having an upper hand. We explain further here:
A child’s body including their teeth, gums, jaw bone and muscles are still developing at this stage. This makes the body more susceptible to correction and change.
Early orthodontic intervention can be key to correcting malocclusion and skeletal irregularities such as an underbite or overbite. The orthodontic treatment can be designed to realign your child’s bite by manipulating the flexible jawline and guiding the development of your child’s jaw and teeth. The impact of early orthodontic treatment can last a lifetime.
Invisalign Teen is one option that corrects malocclusion and mandibular retrusion among teenagers. This treatment includes the mandibular advancement feature that corrects mandibular retrusion caused by excessive overjet. This is done by influencing the growth of the mandible (lower jaw). This treatment also includes the eruption compensation feature to create space to accommodate for the eruption of adult teeth into its correct position.
When it comes to adults, the change is subtle (if any), because an adult has fully developed skeletal features.
In some instances, there can be a slight change to your:
- Cheeks – For some individuals, your cheeks might look ‘sunken in’ due to the removal of teeth as part of your treatment and as the cheeks’ soft tissues adjust to your new bite.
- Lips – Just like your cheeks, your lips will conform to the new alignment of your bite and a change in its appearance. For example, if you have an underbite, your lips might appear plumper after treatment and the correction of an overjet might make your lips fall back a little after your teeth has shifted to their ideal position.
- Profile – As your teeth realign, it can alter your profile subtly. The change can redefine your profile such as giving you a more symmetrical one.
Ready to get Invisalign or braces?
Orthodontic treatment options such as Invisalign and braces aim to correct your bite and the option you choose is a matter of personal preference.
Braces is a more affordable option but its metal brackets and wires are very much visible and you’ll need to limit your food choices throughout your treatment.
Invisalign, on the other hand, is a more expensive option but its treatment consists of customised clear aligners that are more comfortable to wear and are barely noticeable. When it comes to food choices, you’ll have the flexibility to eat anything you desire.
Regardless of your preferred treatment choice, the goal is to provide straighter teeth, a beautiful smile and better oral health. In some cases, you might experience the subtle changes to your facial feature.
If you’ve questions pertaining to how orthodontic treatment can change your appearance, schedule a consultation with our dentists to assess your face and mouth that will benefit you overall.
