Why it's done

Dental braces offer corrective treatment for:

• Overcrowded or crooked teeth
• Too much space between teeth
• Upper front teeth that overlap the lower teeth too much — either vertically (overbite) or horizontally (overjet)
• Upper front teeth that bite behind the lower ones (underbite)
• Other jaw misalignment problems that cause an uneven bite

Proper alignment of your teeth and jaws may improve not only the appearance of your teeth but also the health of your mouth and the way you bite, chew and speak.

Adults and braces

If you're an adult with braces, you may need to wear them longer than a younger person would, but they can still produce similar results — for example, correcting crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw. Because your facial bones are no longer growing, however, there may be some problems that can't be corrected with braces alone.