Dental braces are common to fix the bite alignment for children and teens, but they are becoming more common for adults. It’s estimated that one in every four people in America that have braces are adults. Dr. Vishal Sharma of Aura Orthodontics looks at common reasons why all of these people are getting braces.
The most common reason to get braces is to fix the bite alignment of teeth, making the teeth of the upper and lower jaws meet.
Overbite, also called protrusion, is when the teeth of the upper jaw rest over the teeth of the lower jaw. An underbite, or front crossbite, is just the reverse.
A crossbite is when one or more of the upper teeth rest on the inside of the lower teeth. To fix crossbite, braces exert pressure to shift teeth back into better places. Braces can be made of metal, ceramic, or a clear material. They can be fixed to the teeth, or be removable.
Another reason to get braces is to fix a mouth with crowded teeth. This is when permanent teeth grow crooked because there is not enough room in the mouth for all of the teeth. The teeth are not fixed directly to the jawbone, so the constant pressure of braces helps to move them.
