How braces work

Braces push the teeth, by slowly moving them over months or years. That is just so easy! They can pull in an overjet, put together gapped teeth or straighten a crooked tooth.

These devices work on the surface of the teeth and jaws. Expanders, masks that pull and restrain chin bands will reshape both your jaw and teeth.

Since your teeth are embedded in your jaw's bone, moving your teeth allows the bone to move in front of the moving tooth and new bone to develop where the tooth was, which is why you can use braces to make lasting changes in your smile.

Understanding bite disorders

Cross bite:

If you have a cross bite, an upper tooth, or teeth, if you bite, you fall behind your lower teeth. At the front or side of your mouth, you can have a cross bite.

Over bite:

Over bite is how much your teeth overlap the upper or lower teeth. Most people have a touch of overbite, but just enough for the lower teeth to rest just behind the upper teeth. The teeth might not look crooked, but you've got a deep overbite if your lower front teeth bite into the upper gums or the roof of your mouth.

Over jet:

The upper teeth project with an overjet, at an angle away from the lower teeth. You can have a nice bite because the base of your upper teeth matches your lower teeth, but the uppers stick out.

Gaps and other spacing problems:

Teeth may develop in too close or too far apart together. Occasionally people grow extra teeth crowding their mouths, or they don't grow the usual 32 teeth, leaving a gap behind.

Under bite:

The lower teeth stretch deeper, with an underbite, than the upper teeth. This is triggered if the lower jaw grows too long, or if the upper jaw is not growing enough. Mild underbites for the upper jaw and chin caps that draw the lower jaw back can be corrected with braces and other external expanders. Extreme cases of underbite require surgical care.

It's really important that you handle an underbite well. It may cause discomfort and struggles with chewing, swallowing, speaking and even breathing, if left alone. It can also cause deformities of the face.