At Lovett Dental Northside, we know that it can be frustrating to look at your teeth and see gaps or overlaps. Crowding is a problem that can occur even after you’ve had braces. As time passes, it’s normal to see some shifts, and compounding factors may mean that you need adult braces. If you want to find dental braces in Houston, we can help. Call us at 713-691-5551 to set up an appointment.
How Do You Know You Need Dental Braces Again?
As an adult, you probably never thought that you’d need dental braces again. Unfortunately, it is possible that you could.
If you have developed illnesses like gum disease or have problems with your wisdom teeth, then you may need braces to straighten your teeth back out.
Five common signs that you need to consider getting braces again include:
- Noticing gaps that weren’t present when you first had your braces
- Your teeth are crowding and overlapping each other
- You lost a tooth and have noticed your teeth shifting out of alignment
- Your bite is off, and you have trouble eating, drinking, or speaking
- It’s hard to brush and maintain your oral hygiene
Here is a little more about what to look for to decide if you need dental braces again when you talk with your Houston orthodontist.
Gaps
The first thing to look for is gaps. If you had no gaps after braces, you should have no gaps now. If you see them developing, then your teeth may be drifting apart. Having a retainer or braces could help realign your teeth back to how they were when you had braces the first time. Catching this change early could mean using minimally invasive brace techniques as well.
Overlapping
When your teeth begin to overlap, it’s usually very noticeable. You may see a tooth push forward over another. This could be caused by wisdom teeth pushing your teeth forward or be a result of changes in your gums or jaw density. Putting on braces will help move them back into position so that you can have a straight smile again.
Poor Alignment
Noticing that your bite isn’t aligned is another sign that you may need braces again. For example, if you bite down and have a significant over or underbite that had been corrected with braces, then you may need braces to realign your bite once again.
Having Trouble with Your Bite
Going further with the bite, if you find that you are having trouble eating, speaking, drinking, chewing, or any combination of those things, then your bite could be off. A bite that isn’t in correct alignment can lead to pain and trouble with your normal daily activities. You could also develop trouble with the jaw, such as TMJ, if your bite is not aligned. Braces help pull the jaw back into position so that your jaw functions normally.
Trouble Brushing and Flossing
Finally, look for signs of trouble when you brush or floss. Are there some teeth you can no longer get between with the floss? They may be crowding. Are there teeth that seem to catch food too often? Drifting apart and gapping will cause food to get stuck in small gaps all around your mouth. Point out these issues to your dentist because they may have easy solutions to get the floss into tight spaces. They’ll also have ideas about braces or tools that you can use to reduce the stress of taking care of your oral hygiene.
Contact Lovett Dental Northside
At Lovett Dental Northside, we’re prepared to talk to you about your braces options. Adult braces come in different forms, and you may be pleased to see how many options you have. Contact us today at 713-691-5551 to learn more about how we can help.
