How to Tell If You Need Braces

You may be wondering if your dental situation is bad enough that you might need braces, but it can be hard to tell. Naturally, your dentist is best suited to tell you if you require braces or not. However, there are a few things you can look out for yourself. In this article, we will help you determine how to tell if you need braces. You can use this information to figure out what steps you need to take next. This article is good for children who think they need braces and adults trying to figure out if they or their children might.

Crowding

Crowding is perhaps the most common reason that a person might speak with their dentist about getting braces. Crowding just means that there is not enough space in the mouth for all of the teeth that need to be there. When there is not enough room, the teeth begin to crowd each other and result in crooked teeth.

Crowding tends to get worse as the child ages into adulthood and can make things like flossing and brushing challenging. When the crowding is severe, it may mean that there are areas that are impossible to clean. This can mean tooth damage down the road.

Crossbite

A crossbite is a bite where the upper tooth sits just behind the lower tooth. This is similar to an overbite except it only seems to affect a tooth or two. There is a risk associated with not treating a cross bite, just like there are with not correcting other types of oral issues. The risks that are taken when this issue is not corrected include:

  • Asymmetric growth of the jaw
  • Excessive fractures or wear on one or more of the teeth
  • Inability to restore worn or fractured teeth
  • Increased recession of the gums on those teeth that are affected

Overbite

An overbite is when the horizontal and the vertical parts of the teeth overlap. The severity of this bite can change between people, yet it is most noticeable on people whose top teeth stick out much further than the teeth on the bottom do. A severe overbite might result in a few health problems and issues:

  • Complications with restorative dental work
  • Decreased longevity with dental work such as crowns, cosmetic fillings and veneers
  • Increase in the likelihood that the front teeth will become fractured because of injury
  • Increase in the likelihood that there will be some sort of trauma on the front teeth

Openbite

An openbite is yet another abnormal bite style for the jaw. This sort of an abnormal bite is where the front teeth are left open. That is to say that these teeth do not touch one another on the top and bottom rows. This can cause a number of different issues that include but are not limited to:

  • Difficulty with biting down on food
  • Issues with speaking properly and enunciating certain words and sounds
  • Lisps

Underbite

An underbite is another unique bite that is considered to be abnormal. This is where all of the upper front teeth are sitting behind the front teeth on the lower jaw. It is the opposite of an overbite. This is usually associated with a jaw size that is disproportionate with the rest of the face and can cause a number of issues. These issues include but are not limited to:

  • Accelerated aging in the face
  • Difficulty chewing and biting food
  • Imbalanced facial appearance
  • Issues with eating

There will be times that everyone may have issues with eating something, but those who need braces will have trouble eating a lot. Food will get stuck in some of the teeth more often than most people. There is a space in between several teeth that seem to always get food stuck in them.

This is the result of teeth that are not properly spaced and the person cannot chew properly because of it. If you do not floss properly, it may even sit there for days or weeks which can cause some serious health issues. If you experience this, taking extra care of your oral health is important.

Speech Issues

If you or your child is having issues with their speech, they may need braces. At first it could be that they are just learning how to talk, but once they get their adult teeth in, it is time to consider taking action. The position of your teeth or your child’s teeth plays a huge part in speaking, and some syllables and letters might be difficult to say.

If the teeth are given treatment through orthodontics, the child will have properly set and spaced teeth. This will allow them to be able to speak more clearly and give them greater confidence in themselves.

Difficulty Sleeping

Surprisingly enough, sleeping difficulties can be one way how to tell if you need braces. For those who have poor teeth, it can be hard to get a good deal of sleep. Sleep apnea is something that can happen to people who have misaligned teeth because it makes it hard for them to breathe.

Sleep apnea is treated in a number of unique ways that depend on the age of the person experiencing it. If you are an adult with misaligned teeth, the best way to fix this problem may in fact be to get braces. This will fix your teeth and help you sleep better at night.

Conclusion

There are a number of reasons that you might want to get braces. If you have any of the symptoms or bite styles that were mentioned here, consider talking to your dentist.

In this article, we have discussed a few different reasons why you might consider getting braces. Do you suffer from any of these issues? Let us know why you are considering getting braces in the comments section that can be found below.

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