Braces, also known as orthodontic treatment, are devices used to help align and straighten teeth. They typically consist of small brackets that are bonded to each tooth and connected with wires that apply pressure to move the teeth into proper position over time. Many people get braces as teenagers, but adults also commonly use them to correct bite issues or crowding.
While straighter teeth are the primary goal of braces, some people wonder if they can also change the shape of their jawline by altering the position of the teeth and jaws. A person’s jawline is the lower border of the face formed by the angle of the jawbone. A square, well-defined jawline is often considered an attractive facial feature. Could braces give you a sharper, more sculpted jawline? Let’s take a closer look at how braces work and their potential effects on your jawline.
Do Braces Move Your Jaw?
Braces alone do not actually move the jaw itself. The jawbone is not changed by orthodontic treatment. However, braces may impact jaw position and appearance in a few indirect ways:
– By aligning the teeth properly, braces can change the way the upper and lower jaws fit together. This may alter the position of the lower jaw.
– Braces can affect facial muscles, allowing the jawbone to settle into a slightly different position.
– In some cases, braces are used along with jaw surgery to intentionally reposition the jaws.
So while the jawbone itself is stationary, the relationship between the upper and lower jaw can shift with braces. Subtle changes in jaw position and muscle activity could lead to small changes in the jawline.
Can Braces Give You a Sharper Jawline?
A sharper, better-defined jawline is largely determined by jaw position and bone structure. Here’s how braces could potentially affect these factors:
– Jaw Position – As mentioned above, braces may influence jaw position to some degree by changing the bite alignment. This could conceivably shift the jaw into a slightly different position that contributes to a sharper jawline. However, the changes would likely be small.
– Bone Structure – Orthodontic treatment does not alter the shape or size of the jawbone itself. However, changes in jaw position over time may allow bone growth to occur in ways that enhance the natural shape of the jawline. This is unlikely to drastically change bone structure but could sharpen it to some degree.
– Supporting Muscles – Braces may affect facial muscles, allowing them to provide better support and definition to an already-sharp jawline. The muscles framing the jawline can become stronger or weaker during orthodontic treatment.
So while braces alone aren’t likely to totally transform your jawline, small shifts in jaw position and muscle tone may sharpen or refine it to some extent in certain individuals. Any enhancements would be modest, though.
Additional Factors That Influence Your Jawline
It’s important to note that your jawline shape depends on several factors besides braces. These include:
– Genetics – Your inherited bone structure plays a key role in determining jawline shape. Some people simply have sharper, more angular jawlines based on genetics.
– Age – Jawlines tend to become less defined with age as skin elasticity reduces and tissues become looser.
– Weight – Excess fat, especially under the chin, can obscure a sharp jawline. Loss of weight can reveal a well-defined jaw.
– Lifestyle – Factors like diet, exercise, and habits can impact muscle tone and facial fat, influencing jawline sharpness.
While braces may be able to improve a jawline to some small degree, these other factors have more influence. Genetics seem to be most determinant of your basic jawline shape and structure.
Can Jaw Surgery Alter Your Jawline?
In some cases, braces may be used in conjunction with jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery). This type of surgery can intentionally change jaw position and structure to alter its appearance.
There are a few different types of jaw surgery that could enhance the jawline:
– Jaw Augmentation – Jaw implants or injections can add volume and definition.
– Jaw Reduction – Reshaping or reducing the jawbone can sharpen a wide jaw.
– Jaw Repositioning – Surgically moving the jaws can sharpen a receding jawline.
Unlike braces alone, these surgical procedures can directly modify the jawbone and significantly transform jawline shape. However, it also involves much higher costs and risks than orthodontic treatment alone.
Case Studies: Braces and Jawline Changes
To help illustrate the potential subtle effects of braces on the jawline, let’s look at some before and after examples:
Case Study 1: Modest Improvement
Mary, age 17, got braces to fix severely crowded bottom teeth. After 18 months of orthodontic treatment, her smile was beautifully straightened. Looking at her profile, the most noticeable difference is her straightened teeth. However, the overall shape and position of her jaw appears mostly unchanged. There is perhaps a very slight sharpening of the jawline, likely due to minor changes in jaw position or muscle support. Overall though, no major improvement in jawline sharpness is evident.
Case Study 2: Mild Sharpening
John, age 22, had braces for 2 years to correct an overbite. Comparing before and after photos, his jawline does appear mildly sharper and more defined after treatment. The upper jaw may be positioned slightly more forward, contributing to a more angular lower jaw. His jaw structure is largely the same, but the braces results provide a bit of enhancement in jawline sharpness.
Case Study 3: SurgeryCombo
Jessica, age 26, had a very small, recessed chin. She underwent jaw surgery (sliding genioplasty) to bring her chin forward, in combination with braces. The surgical jaw repositioning significantly improved her jawline definition, making it much sharper and more sculpted. Additional minor improvements may have occurred from orthodontic changes. Overall, her transformation required both jaw surgery and braces.
These examples help illustrate that, in most cases, braces alone lead to only subtle improvements in jawline sharpness. More dramatic changes are possible when combined with corrective jaw surgery in appropriate candidates.
Do Braces Widen Your Jaw?
Some people worry that braces or retainers may actually make their jawline look wider, especially if treatment is prolonged over many years. There are a few potential reasons this could occur:
– Braces can sometimes flare the teeth outward, making the jaw appear wider.
– Prolonged use of a removable retainer may cause slight sideways growth of the jaws.
– Ongoing adjustment of a permanent retainer could subtly expand the arch width.
However, these changes would likely be very minimal and not readily noticeable. Most orthodontists agree that braces or retainers do not cause significant widening or elongation of the jaws. So this side effect is unlikely to occur with typical orthodontic treatment.
Can Braces Reshape the Chin?
The chin is the central area of the lower jawline. Since braces do not actually modify the jawbone itself, they cannot physically reshape the size or position of the chin. Braces can successfully align crowded or protruding front teeth that may give the illusion of a distorted chin. But the chin itself will remain unchanged.
Any true reshaping or enhancement of the chin would need to involve dental implants, chin augmentation, or surgical manipulation of the jawbone. Orthodontic treatment alone does not reshape the chin.
Do Braces Improve Your Profile?
Straighter teeth and a properly aligned bite can subtly enhance your overall facial profile. Here are some of the ways braces can improve your side profile:
– Straightened teeth can provide better support for the lips, enhancing their contour.
– Correcting jaw misalignment may improve facial symmetry.
– An aligned bite allows for proper muscle function, potentially reducing strain on the jaw area.
– Minor improvements in jawline definition are possible (as discussed above).
Keep in mind these changes will usually be modest and involve small millimeter adjustments. While braces can enhance the teeth and bite element of your profile, the actual shape of the jawline, nose, and other facial structures remain unaffected.
The Impact of Extractions
In some cases, teeth extractions are recommended prior to braces to create enough space for the remaining teeth to be straightened. This most commonly involves extracting premolar teeth.
Some people believe that premolar extractions can flatten the facial profile as it may change the arch width. The effects are highly debated and not conclusively proven. If extractions are done with care on a case-by-case basis, significant facial changes are unlikely.
Ultimately, any facial profile improvements from braces alone will be mild. The most noticeable enhancements will occur in the straightness of the teeth.
What About Clear Aligners Like Invisalign?
Clear aligner systems like Invisalign utilize a series of transparent, removable trays to gradually move the teeth, similar to braces. Since they work similarly to traditional braces, the effects on the jawline would also be comparable.
Aligners are unlikely to significantly alter the jawline for these reasons:
– They cannot change the jawbone itself.
– Any jaw changes are likely to be small due to slight shifts in muscle activity and jaw position.
– Other factors like genetics and age more strongly control jawline shape.
Some additional key points about clear aligners:
– They may produce slightly less changes in jaw position than fixed braces.
– Short-term use limits their potential effects on muscles or bone growth.
– Less risk of extractions or permanent retainer use which could impact arch width.
So while clear aligner systems like Invisalign straighten teeth effectively, they are unlikely to drastically reshape or sharpen the jawline. Subtle enhancements are possible, but noticeable results would require jaw surgery.
Conclusion
While straighter teeth are the obvious benefit of braces, their effects on your jawline shape are secondary and typically mild. Braces can potentially lead to small improvements in jawline definition by influencing jaw position, muscle tone, and growth patterns. However, significant reshaping or sharpening of the jawline would require jaw surgery in combination with orthodontic treatment.
For most people considering braces, enhancements to their jawline would be a nice bonus but not the primary reason for treatment. Those seeking major jawline transformations may need to look beyond braces alone. But even subtle improvements from realigned jaws and teeth can positively enhance your facial profile.