Every year, millions of people invest in braces and other teeth-straightening technology to perfect their smiles. This can be for both cosmetic and health reasons. A straighter smile can help you feel more confident and make a better first impression, but it can also make it easier to maintain proper oral health.

If you’re curious about how to know if you need braces, you’re certainly not alone. It’s a question many later-in-life adults ask themselves, or may even be wondering about for their children.

How do you know when the right time for braces is, and when are they truly needed? Read on and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

1. You Aren’t Happy With Your Smile

One of the most common reasons many people get braces is that they’re simply not pleased with their current smile. A lack of confidence in your smile is nothing to scoff at: there have been numerous studies about how important a good smile can be in areas ranging from dating to doing business.

There are many reasons why someone might have a crooked smile. One’s adult teeth may have come in while baby teeth were still present, or one’s jaw might not have had enough space to accommodate full-sized adult teeth. In some cases, crooked teeth are just the result of genetics, and there’s nothing one can do to prevent it from happening.

If you’ve found yourself hiding your teeth when you smile or just aren’t a fan of the current alignment of your teeth, you should definitely be considering braces.

The cosmetic advantages of braces can be huge and it can make practicing proper oral health much easier. Crooked teeth can be difficult to properly clean and care for, leading to more cavities, plaque, and a less-clean appearance. Straight and aligned teeth are much easier to care for and keep sparkling.

If you have teeth that are out of alignment and embarrass you, this can be an easy fix with the help of some dental assistance. A brighter and more comfortable you is just a quick fix away, and there are plenty of adult options available.

2. Top Teeth Fight Your Lower Teeth

If you’re unsure how the current alignment of your teeth is, it can help to have a little information on what’s considered healthy and normal. Looking at the relationship between your top teeth and your lower teeth can be an important place to look.

Everyone has a little bit of an overbite, where one’s upper teeth slightly overlap atop the lower row. However, if you look in the mirror and see that your top teeth seem to almost completely overlap your lower teeth, it might mean you have an issue on your hands.

Sever overlap of the top teeth can lead to a number of medical issues down the line, including premature tooth wear.

In some situations, the upper teeth might not overlap the lower teeth but might be jettisoned out much farther than them. This is a different problem with potentially similar results. Having too much overjet in your top teeth can leave you at risk for trauma, as they will take the brunt of any hit or fall you might experience alone.

If your front and bottom teeth don’t touch at all, it can also be an issue. It can make it more difficult to chew foods properly, and it might even impact your speech.

In all of these situations, having braces can help to fix these issues and create a safer environment for your teeth and mouth.

3. You’re Experiencing Jaw Pain

We can’t always see what’s going on with our mouths, and there are plenty of orthodontic issues that we can’t look at the mirror and catch visually. Instead, we’re left with a gnawing pain in our jaw and mouths and an uncertainty of what might be causing it.

Some jaw pain may be temporary, but if you are experiencing pain on a regular basis, it might be due to a misalignment of your teeth. It is not uncommon for crowded or otherwise misaligned teeth to cause problems with the jaw.

Looking into braces might be one thing an oral professional would suggest to solve such a painful situation.

4. Difficulty Eating or Speaking

Misaligned teeth can have a number of other negative side effects as well. For example, they might impact your ability to bite and chew in a comfortable manner. If you’ve recently found yourself having trouble eating, or too frequently catch yourself biting your tongue or gums? It might be due to the misalignment of your teeth.

The current alignment of your teeth might be incorrect, and it could be throwing your bite off.

If it’s become more difficult to speak clearly, it might be an orthodontic issue as well. As mentioned above, the placement of teeth in the mouth can actually have a big impact on the ease of speech and pronunciation.

In both cases, it can be worth talking to an oral professional to see if these problems are stemming from oral issues. They will be able to recommend the best course of action.

How to Know if You Need Braces

Do you know how to know if you need braces? There are a number of reasons people invest in these oral health devices and the above rank among the most popular. Straightening your teeth has a number of benefits, and it can increase your smile’s cosmetic appeal and better your overall health.

Have more questions about getting braces? Give us a call anytime for help.