After braces, my face changed and smile got worse. What can I do? (photos)

Question

I got braces 1.5 years ago. Doctor said my mouth is too small and needed to extract 4teeth. Now my mouth's got smaller that my front teeth are not showing when i smile. I ashame of my smile, feel like i lost my charm.

Brad Lockhart, DDS · Answer

Whenever someone has crooked teeth in does NOT mean their teeth are too big for their mouth, it means the mouth is too small to accommodate the teeth. Your orthodontist was correct in his/her assessment, the problem was with the chosen mode of correction.

In my office, we would never have extracted the teeth, this only accentuates the original problem (mouth too small). Rather than extracting teeth we would make the mouth larger, then straighten the teeth.

What can be done now? Reverse the process. Make the mouth bigger using removable orthopedic dental appliances and then restraighten the teeth.

Good luck!

Ira Shapira, DDS · Answer

If your mouth is too small to hold all your teeth you need expansion orthopedics not contraction orthodontics.  Expansion after extraction is possible but there will be spaces that need to be closed.

After braces, my face changed and smile got worse. What can I do? (photos)

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Everything you need to know about Braces

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After braces, my face changed and smile got worse. What can I do? (photos)

Answers (2)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Braces

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.