Do I Need Braces Really? If you’re wondering if you need braces, know that you’re not alone. It’s a question many ask for themselves and their children. While there are clear and obvious cases where braces are an absolute necessity, most people have more subtle, simple dental issues that lead them to wonder if an orthodontist visit is the best move.

Nothing can replace the expert opinion within a professional orthodontic consultation to answer the question, but you can use the following introspective quiz to gain some perspective on whether a consultation is an immediate need, a maybe need, or a not now need.

While some are more realists and recognize a dental problem as a dental problem but may not know if orthodontic treatment is the solution, many might not even be aware they have orthodontic-related dental issues to worry about. Let’s take this simple quiz to help you determine if you have orthodontic problems and if an orthodontic appointment should be in your near future. Do I Need Braces? read on…

Contents

1 People Also Ask
2 10 Questions To Help You Know: Do I Need Braces?
3 What Does Your Quiz Look Like?
- 3.1 Schedule Your Orthodontic Appointment Today

10 Questions To Help You Know: Do I Need Braces?

Question: Do Your Teeth Look Symmetrical?

Firstly, look into a mirror and smile. Do your teeth look evenly spaced, or are there gaps or overcrowding? Some have larger gaps than others? Do they line up from top to bottom to create a symmetrical lower and upper jaw? Think about how the look of your teeth affects your life. Has it held you back from a relationship or work opportunity? Have people bullied or mocked you or your loved ones over it? If yes on any account, orthodontic treatment can help improve the appearance of your smile.

Question: Is Your Bite Off?

As you smile, look at how your teeth meet from top to bottom. Your jaws should be in line with the nose and each other. The most common bite issues are:

Overbites – the upper jaw overshadows and sticks out further partially or completely than the bottom jaw, making your front teeth stick out further than your bottom teeth. It’s the most common malocclusion treated by orthodontic clinics.
Underbites – the lower jaw sticks out further than the upper jaw, putting your lower teeth in front of your upper teeth.
Crossbites – this malocclusion involves one or more teeth either being tilted toward the cheek (buccal) or toward the tongue (lingual,) and it can affect one or both sides of the jaw.

Finally, bite issues are beyond an aesthetic issue. Over time, they can cause difficulty chewing, jaw pain, jaw joint deterioration, and headaches.

Question: How Many Cavities In Relation To Your Oral Care Habits?

Your overall oral health is an important question to consider, especially if you practice good routine oral care. With good oral care, you shouldn’t have a significant history of or amount of existing cavities in your mouth. If so, and you’re brushing and flossing regularly and adequately, then you may have an alignment or spacing issue causing your cavity issue. Issues like a simple crooked tooth can enable plaque hiding places to eat away at enamel and cause cavities.

Question: Do You Have Baby Teeth or Impacted Teeth?

In some people, baby teeth can linger and not fall out within a reasonable timeframe or leave the baby root behind to cause chaos. Underlying adult teeth may not be able to fully emerge, or they may emerge crooked or angled. Orthodontic services can help manage the loss of baby teeth, minimize the effects, and/or repair the consequences of such stray baby teeth.

Impacted adult teeth may just not emerge at all or only emerge partly. The open space often creates alignment problems and encourages neighboring teeth to become crooked or gapped from its opposite neighbor. An orthodontist has several options to treat impacted teeth, including surgery, alignment devices, and braces.

Question: Is Chewing A Painful Or Difficult Task?

Chewing should be effortless. An aligned jaw with straight teeth enables the teeth to mash foods as the jaw is opened and closed. While everyone may occasionally inadvertently catch other parts of their mouth while chewing or talking, it shouldn’t happen frequently. You shouldn’t have to put much thought into keeping other parts of your mouth out of the action.

A misaligned jaw and crooked or angled teeth will often catch the gums, inside of the mouth, or tongue during chewing and other jaw movements. It can lead to painful sores and injuries. Correcting such issues with orthodontic devices may be the best treatment for this problem.

Question: Do You Suffer From Speech Issues?

Crooked teeth and misalignment issues can cause you various speech-related problems. You may spit frequently when you talk. You may have unclear speech. In any case, solving any existing orthodontic issues will help pave the path to correcting your speech impediments.

Question: Do You Feel Embarrassed Of How Your Teeth Look?

If you find yourself self-consciously covering your mouth with your hand often, not smiling when you want to, or not having the confidence to speak because you’re ashamed of how your teeth look, it’s most certainly time to consult an orthodontic professional. Let your teeth be part of your smile.

Question: What’s Your Dental Family History?

Many orthodontic problems are genetic, therefore, your close relatives having dental issues that required orthodontic correction may likely affect you, too.

Question: Does Your Jaw Make Noise?

A properly aligned jaw and teeth do not make unusual noises. You shouldn’t hear pops, clicks, or feel catches as you open and close your mouth. TMJ is an issue that can cause a popping noise in your jaw bone and your jaw bone to catch as you open and close your mouth. It can be quite annoying and painful, but it’s also easily solved by orthodontic treatment.

Do You Put Non-Food Items In Your Mouth?

Whether it’s sucking non-food objects, chewing on non-food objects, thrusting your tongue forward, grinding your teeth, or frequently shifting your jaw side to side, all of these bad oral habits can create orthodontic problems.

What Does Your Quiz Look Like?

If you answered no to all the questions, then you’re likely not in an immediate need for orthodontic services. If you answered yes to one or two questions, then it’s highly likely you’d benefit from a consultation. For those that answered yes to multiple questions, the answer to the question “do I need braces” is likely yes. The sooner you schedule an appointment the better; you’ll find orthodontic treatment imperative to correcting your smile, chewing, oral health, and overall function.

Schedule Your Orthodontic Appointment Today

Accordingly, Dr. Gorton & Dr. Schmohl would like to invite you to achieve your WOW smile today. Moreover, for 20 years, we’ve served the San Francisco Bay Area with quality, innovative orthodontic services, and progressive techniques. Don’t let any of the answers to the ‘Do I Need Braces’ quiz above hold you back from smiling through life. Finally, visit our website or give us a call today to take advantage of your free consultation with one of our impeccable orthodontists.