Do braces give you a sullen look ?

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#1 Post by **broochie** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 4:57 am

Hi all,

I've been in braces for 10 months now, and I see my face changing... for the worse. I had mild crowding on both arches, with a narrow, V-shaped upper arch. Now my upper front teeth form a nice, rounder curve. But my cheeks look "sunken in". I would have expected they would look fuller, if anything. People think that I've lost weight (which I haven't). I recently met a friend I hadn't seen since just beore being braced, and she commented that I had become thinner. So it's not just an impression. I feel very depressed because I have a long, thin face to begin with, and it seems to be getting worse. My ortho says it's just an impression, and I feel very depressed because my face was long and thin to begin with, and I don't want it to get worse!

#2 Post by **snashe** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 6:40 am

do you have an overbite treatment ?
if so, what is the treatement method ? intrusion of teeth, use of curve of spee, etc ?

i got the same concern about my futur treatement, i heard overbite treated on a long thin face may not get you face shorter in some cases ..

#3 Post by **acehigh** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:21 am

Yes, I've noticed a difference too. The front teeth became nicely arched, which somehow makes your face look longer. But the thing is, they do the corrections in steps. Right now i'm on elestics for an overbite. In time they will get to the molars which still have to pull out to make that arch look fuller and rounder. Hang in there. It's one step at a time, this is why full treatment takes at least 1 1/2 years. I was at the ortho last week asking about the back molars. That will come later. My arches at the back are still narrow, while the fronts look nice and round.

#4 Post by **platinum** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 8:56 am

I have a short face, I have to use a retainer to open my bite. My face looks thinner and longer. Does not look too nice...

#5 Post by **Betty Bat** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:20 am

Since you asked if braces give you a sullen look, here's the definition of sullen from dictionary.com:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
sulÂ·len /ˈsʌlən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[suhl-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
â€“adjective
1. showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve.
2. persistently and silently ill-humored; morose.
3. indicative of gloomy ill humor.
4. gloomy or dismal, as weather or a sound.
5. sluggish, as a stream.
6. Obsolete. malignant, as planets or influences.

So, I don't think that braces themselves can give you a sullen look, particularly since you appeared to be concerned about your face looking "sunken in" and thinner. But you also mention that you feel depressed. So, perhaps your braces are making you feel gloomy and that feeling is making you sullen?

#6 Post by **Natalie** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 3:30 pm

my moods make me look sullen! haha

#7 Post by **phanta** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 8:55 pm

My cheeks looks sunken to ME, but I just asked my husband and he says it's all in my head, and that my face hasn't changed with braces

On the other hand, he's been here every day. The change could've been gradual and he was adjusting to the transition with me.

I know that I look more tired now, in part due to braces, that's for sure.

#8 Post by **19Braceface** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:58 pm

Yep...actually at the beggining of my joining the board i asked alot of questions about this to see if other people felt the same...but i hope the "sullen" look isn't here to stay and maybe they are just the braces! check out a question a fellow member asked the "naked tooth gallery"...it is under "have you ever felt that..."....alot of past brace wearers comment on how after their braces, their faces lost what they believed were new facial developments....i am of mayan descent and i dunno if braces has anything to do with it but my already high prominent cheekbones*not sexy more indigenous?* look even more defined...i personally don't like this but i am waiting it out till the braces come off....

good luck and hope it is just an illusion!!!

#9 Post by **acehigh** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:47 am

I'm going to mention this to the ortho next time i'm in. It's kind of bugging me now. I really do think that once the molars pull out ( i have narrow arches), that my face will fatten up a bit. Anything! I'll take any fattening up that i can get. Wonder if i could suggest a wider archwire next time....lol. I know this sounds crazy, but i'd rather be happy with my face than have the perfect bite. At least i'm not alone by the looks of it.

#10 Post by **broochie** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 1:13 pm

Thanks for the replies. Snashe, I a slight overbite. I am a class 2, and my lower arch is still retrusive. It will be slightly advanced with either elastics or BSSO surgery, we are still weighing the options at this point. I hope that in time, my upper arch expands laterally as well, which hopefully will give a rounder look to my face.

#11 Post by **Kat** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:06 pm

I'ver been in braces almost 7 months now. I do and others have noticed a sunke/thinner face asking me if I've lost weight as well One even said I look almost gaunt!
I have really gained about 15 pounds or so sinse treatment so no weight lose here.
I on the other hand do not care for the look I have now compared to 7 months ago in the face. I look like I have real long teeth now and I see total changes to my face haveing the aged look now. I lookat least 10 years older now. My top lip had the old lady look--you know where you can see the like the vertical lines now more.
My neck has a more fleshy look. Now I can say it's not in 7 months instant aging. These braces have really aged me I'll say again.
I am hoping it's just a tempory look, the boyfriend has noticed as well.

No going back, I do like the idea of having straighter teeth but maybe at my age the option for doing something in a few years might have been the smarter move for me.
I am happy I'm trying to do something right for my apperence. We will see...

#12 Post by **broochie** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:41 pm

I am really wondering what it is that causes this gaunt look phenomenon. As much as I try to understand it, I can't figure it out. Ideas anyone?

#13 Post by **acehigh** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:41 pm

I don't know broochie, but I'm glad I didn't know about it before the braces. But we both mentioned that once the back molars get pulled outward, our faces will fill out. Once again, just yesterday in fact, the weight conversation came up. I'm 44 (female), and my parents think I should put on some weight. I actually went to the scale and showed mom that i'm the same weight! (My parents are in their 80's and worry about me.....lol......love it). Anyways, I'm so tempted to phone the office and talk to one of the technicians about my cheeks.....lol. As long as I know that the archwire will still pull the teeth outward towards the cheeks, I'll be fine. In the meantime, not only is my face kind of thin, I'm working on an overbite with elastics which pull your lower jaw forward, and my back top and bottom molars don't connect very well at all at this point. (Which I know is normal). Almost looks like i'm making a face.

It's really not that noticeable at all, but of course I notice everything these days. I hope this journey flys by fast.

#14 Post by **acehigh** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:54 pm

By the way, I just love this site....everyone talks about their teeth.....lol And we can all relate. It's almost become a focus point in our lives now that we have braces.

#15 Post by **19Braceface** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:12 pm

OMG!!! instant aging...Kat i totally agree with you! when i first came on here that was/is my biggest concern, i was always told i looked very young for my age...i hated that when my girl cousins were getting all the boys, and i still looked 12! Not anymore though, now people think i am 21-24 and im 19(not a big diff. i know..but a year ago i was often confused for a 16 year old!). but lately i got asked about weight loss, i have lost, but i have regained....o.k i was browsing the web while procrastinating a paper, and i found out something interesting....

a guy said this about the "sunken look"...i typed it in google if you guys want to know the source....apparently we are not the only ones wondering this...

" Yes, it is the metal in the braces (Nickel). It is a common allergenic and is toxic and sunken cheeks could be the result of being less well.

I have had this with metal toxicity myself, my facial cheeks looked drawn. I got them off and things did fill out more again.

I don't know if this is your problem, but there are some people who really are not as well once they get braces. they can feel worse and look ill also.

Sure, some of this "might" be the fact that there is the alteration of the set of the teeth by making them straighter, coudl also be you maturing as well. However, I'd say this could be the metal problem going on.

ONce the braces come off, you may find things returning to more normality in that area. Teeth will also relax a bit, there will not be the ongoing tension, nor ongoing possible problems with the metal. "

i personally don't know much about metal toxicity or how braces can contribute...but eh...just a thought.

also do you guys have ceramic braces at all?

Metal Mouth Message Board

Do braces give you a sullen look ?

Do braces give you a sullen look ?

Thin face...hmmmm