Can Braces Close Gaps in Front Teeth? (A True Story!)
Is your child insecure about their smile?
Do they tend to hide their mouth when they’re speaking, laughing, or taking pictures?
You should know: your child is not alone.
A recent survey… This text opens a new tab to the New York Post website… showed 61% of Americans wish they could change something about their smile.
One of the main reasons… This text opens a new tab to the NCBI website… people seek orthodontic treatment is because they feel self-conscious about their appearance.
According to the American Association of Orthodontists… This text opens a new tab to the AAO website…, more than 5.75 million Americans and Canadians seek orthodontic care each year.
One of the most common treatments is braces.
Braces are tried and true and a versatile method for improving your child’s smile.
They’re proven to treat an array of dental issues, such as:
- Crowded or crooked teeth
- Protruding teeth
- Overbites
- Underbites
- Crossbites
- Open bites
Another very common dental issue in children is gapped teeth, especially between the two front teeth.
Now, you’re probably wondering:
“Can braces close gaps in front teeth?”
We’re pleased to say they can, and they’re a highly effective treatment!
In this blog, we’d like to tell you how one of Dr. Steve’s longtime patients, Taniah, fixed her gapped smile with braces.
First, let’s give you Taniah’s backstory
Taniah and her family are from Terre, Haute, IN.
She wanted braces since she was 11 because she hated the gap between her front teeth and how her teeth flared out.
See her before braces photo below: Real Patient’s Photos
Why did Taniah come to TK Orthodontics?
Taniah’s mom, Tina, let our team know they’d had such great experiences with Dr. Steve in the past at Dentistry Just For Kids so they wouldn’t have gone anywhere else!
Tina felt we have a fun office and knew her daughter wouldn’t be scared in our care.
So they chose TK Orthodontics to help Taniah achieve her smile goals.
Taniah’s treatment process
1. Consultation
Taniah came into our office for a consultation, where she was greeted by our staff members’ smiling faces.
Dr. Kula, our expert orthodontist in Terre Haute, met with her to address her concerns and evaluate the condition of her teeth, jaws, and mouth.
Then, we took a series of x-rays to determine the condition and position of her teeth and bite.
Once Dr. Kula analyzed the scans, he start mapping out her braces treatment plan.
2. Preparation for braces
To bring her flared teeth back in, we had to extract a few teeth to give her teeth more room to move correctly. Our team ensured Taniah was comfortable during this process.
3. Starting treatment
Part of Taniah’s treatment plan involved her wearing a power chain and elastics.
First off… what are power chains?
In orthodontics, a power chain is a chain of O ring loops made of the same elastic material the bands are made of. Each loop is attached around individual brackets to shift your teeth together.
Once the chain is secured, it tries to maintain its original shape (like when you stretch out a rubber band). This constant force will gradually move your smile into place.
In short, it provides a little extra power to your braces to help eliminate gaps.
A power chain isn’t always included in braces treatments, but your orthodontist may require one to accomplish specific movements.
Dr. Kula added this special accessory to Taniah’s plan to help her progress through her smile journey more efficiently.
And:
In addition to the power chain, wearing elastic rubber bands helped close the spaces between her teeth. The little elastic bands were placed over a designated number of teeth to guide movement.
4. Regular appointments
Routine orthodontic visits allowed us to:
- Check Taniah’s progress with her plan
- Address any questions or concerns
- Make adjustments
Dr. Kula manually adjusted her braces to allow for continual progression through the treatment plan.
We advise patients to visit every six to eight weeks throughout their treatment for the best results.
5. Complete treatment
When Taniah finished her treatment, we took off her braces, polished her teeth, and revealed her new smile!
The results?
Her teeth look amazing!
Getting a gorgeous, straighter smile boosted Taniah’s confidence.
There’s no more gap between her front teeth and not a crooked tooth insight.
And:
The profile on her face changed as well.
What does this mean? Read below!
How do braces change your face structure?
Your teeth and bite create a resting place and provide support to your face and jaw. When your teeth and bite aren’t aligned properly, you may notice these problems:
- Mouth or jaw juts out
- Chin looks too big or small for your face
- Asymmetrical facial features
- Long-looking face
- Sunken in cheeks
- And more!
But braces will fix those orthodontic problems, which helps:
- Create a balanced facial profile
- Strengthen your jawline and chin
- Support your facial structure, preventing that sunken or aged look
- Reduce unnecessary tension on your teeth and jaw
- Give you a healthier, better functioning bite
- Enhance your appearance
- Increase your self-esteem
Are you or your child looking for an orthodontist?
Our team at TK Orthodontics would love to help you get a healthy, winning smile! We’re happy to provide orthodontic care for children and adults.
Your caring Terre Haute orthodontist, Dr. Theodore Kula, offers traditional and ceramic/clear braces and Invisalign®.
To see if your child is a candidate for braces, please schedule a consultation.
Or you can:
- Call us at 812-234-7322
- Email us at admin@dj4k.net
TK Orthodontics is located in Terre Haute, IN… This text opens a new tab to our Google listing…, and we proudly serve patients from across the Wabash Valley, including Terre Haute, Clinton, Rockville, Covington, Brazil, Greencastle, Sullivan, Linton, Shakamak, Vincennes, Marshall, Paris, Robinson, Olney, Effingham, Charleston, Casey, Mattoon, Greenup, Flora, and Newton.
