This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!
New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.
DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.
yesterday some friend of mine happened to mention that my face is looking a lot more thinner recently-not in a good way either aparently i look ill!
I have always had defined cheek bones and a thin face but could braces be changing the shape of my face?i have an overbite and the top teeth are getting alot straighter.I am hoping the surgery will help and fill out my face a little
My fella says perhaps i need to bulk myself out more and eat more food but i dont want to get fat-good heavens after 3 kids iv just this past 9 months got to the size im happy with.Dont get me wrong im not a diet freak i eat 3 meals a day not always that healthy either!its just i dont put weight on that much through food the weight i lost was just down to exercise and toning my baby belly!
I Know my friend was a bit insensitive but im so afraid ill look ill forever-bear in mind im only 4 months into my journey and dont have surgery for at least 10 months-maybe more!
I've only been in braces for 10 weeks but I've had people say the same thing about my face. I don't know if it's because I've lost weight or because my face is actually changing. I'll be interested to see what others say!
Did your ortho offer a progressive view of what your face would look like before, during and after all of your treatment? Have you had any extractions done? I dont think that braces are to change the contour of your actual face not unless the ortho recognized that your profile was a little distorted pre-braces. When I went for my consultation with my ortho, he told me that the braces would not change the contour of my face because there wasnt any "lopsidedness" to my profile. He did state that my smile will be wider due to the palate expander My jaw and face was level on both sides. Maybe that is what people are seeing is a more even face, which isnt bad by any means.
Maybe when you go to the ortho for your next visit, he can do a progressive view of your treatment and give you some idea of what you will look like after your treatment ( including surgery).
Everyone has been commenting on my face looking thin after braces. I think it's just because I haven't been snacking as much as I used to. Not that I'm ill looking but just look thinner.
Upper and lower 1st premolars extracted
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
In my case, I am wearing an RPE/Palate expander, which seems to have made my cheek bones more accentuated, which in turn makes my cheeks look slightly "hollow". I suppose if it doesn't get any worse, I would actually say it has given me a "model" appearance, with high cheek bones and a square jaw But I dont want more cheek bone expansion. Enough is enough.
I've also gotten this comment, just a month or two into having braces. I've lost some weight and the only thing I can contribute it to is braces (snacking less) and the conscious choice to drink less alcohol. (The alcohol probably the bigger factor!)
Have you noticed yourself eating less, perhaps because it takes longer to chew or it's just not worth the effort of having to clean your brackets again?
All Metal Uppers and Lowers - brackets placed with OrthoCAD
Braces on 2/1/2007, Removed 2/13/2008, now in Essix retainers.
Oh yes I've noticed my face looking thinner. I think it's because the fronts are arching out nicely, and the backs have yet to catch up! My molars still need to pull out and round out. The ortho told me one step at a time. This just has to be it.
i have had no extractions-but i think the plan is to maybe take two out on the bottom row before braces are put on lowers-so now im thinking ill get even more thinner!
i suppose my food intake could be a bit higher-iv recently had wisdom teeth out so eating was limited then on my 2nd adjustment my teeth were so sore so for a few days food was limited also.
i have always had a hollow cheek apperance and i really dont think its lack of food that is causing this look-its just since braces it looks more obvious.
i think ill ask my ortho next month when i next see him he is not very talk ative though !heres hoping news is reassuring id hate to feel like this for ever
im hoping that its what you said ACEHIGH my arches are rounding of nicely so maybe the backs need to catch up-heres hoping!
Ema27......I've had people ask me also if I've lost weight. One time I kind of pretended I had been sick and told someone I hadn't been feeling well......lol. (Trying to make up for that wonderful look I have lately.....the thin face thing). How long have you been in treatment? It's been 5 months for me. I'll tell you, the fronts look great!! It only make sense to me that the back teeth have yet to pull out and round out. I check in the mirror every day. (I'm not obsessed or anything, but I REALLY will be happy when my cheeks fatten up). Plus, with the braces on, and the front teeth rounded and arched, our lips our sticking out slightly more than usual. (Not super noticeable, but the braces are in the way a bit.....our lips aren't exactly sitting on just our teeth). Does this make sense? All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not alone with this.
Acehigh-i am 4 months into treat ment and my top teeth are really quite straight now-its amazing how quick these braces work isnt it.i was checking out my pics from my mobile which i took at the beginning i cant believe how crooked the wire was now its 99% straight-so pleased that im not alone in the thin face look -good luck with the rest of your treatment it will be interesting to see if our faces get rounded once more
Ema27, the same is happening to me. Maybe it's because I get very tired and bored when it comes the time to CHEW and CLEAN TEETH, so I skip snacks and eat less.
I feel tired of chewing because, due to my overbite and lower braces, my molars actually don't touch each other when I close my jab to chew food because my upper front teeth meet the brackets before my molars are able to make contact. So I need to REALLY invest time and effort to reduce my food to a swallowing mode.
Maybe with correcting the overbite your face is slightly longer, which is making your face appear thinner? This will be the case with mine - my ortho said I can expect my chin to be slightly elongated with correcting the overbite, and I think it makes my face look thinner.
im so afraid ill look ill forever-bear in mind im only 4 months into my journey and dont have surgery for at least 10 months-maybe more! 
My molars still need to pull out and round out. The ortho told me one step at a time. 
This just has to be it.
