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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe all know braces straighten teeth. That\u2019s great, but that helps us achieve more than just beauty goals. Braces line up our top and bottom teeth so that they fit and function better together. If there is an imbalance and our teeth are not working together, that creates stress on our jaw and our teeth. That stress on the jaw is what leads to TMJ or Temporomandibular Jaw Disorder, which is characterized by jaw clicking, grinding and pain in the jaw muscles. That muscle pain can lead to limited mouth opening, headaches, and even pain in the neck. Stress on our teeth causes wear and chips, forcing us to get dental work done such as fillings and crowns. So straight teeth are not just for cosmetics, they help us achieve overall health! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who needs braces? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When the upper and lower teeth fit together, this is called neutral occlusion, or class 1 occlusion. Any deviation from this results in malocclusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Class 2 malocclusion <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what\u2019s commonly known as overbite. It\u2019s where the top jaw is more forward than the bottom jaw. There are 2 types. First is overjet, which is when the top teeth flare out much more than the bottom teeth. Second is deep bite, where the top teeth cover the bottom teeth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Class 3 malocclusion <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what\u2019s commonly known as underbite. It\u2019s where the lower teeth or jaw are more forward than the top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anterior Open Bite <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the top front teeth don\u2019t touch the bottom front teeth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Crowding <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the teeth have a crooked look and overlap each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spaces <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where there are many gaps between the teeth. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I was growing up, braces were looked at as a dorky thing. Hollywood always depicted the nerds or the outcasts as the ones with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[8,14,9,13,11,10,12],"class_list":["post-87","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-braces","tag-braces","tag-crowding-braces","tag-do-i-need-braces","tag-gapped-teeth","tag-overbite","tag-straight-teeth","tag-underbite"],"yoast_head":"\n