Understanding the Connection Between Your Smile and Face

A smile is a visual expression of happiness, and it’s closely intertwined with facial features. The two elements are complementary, needing each other for an optimal aesthetic outcome.

“A smile is happiness you will find right under your nose.” – Tom Wilson

In a 1986 paper titled ‘Measuring the physical in physical attractiveness: Quasi-experiments on the sociobiology of female facial beauty’, Michael Cunningham meticulously measured 24 facial features. He found that physical traits of an attractive woman’s face include a small nose, high cheekbones, a small chin, and a large, balanced smile.

For men, a prominent chin, bushy eyebrows, and a relatively small nose were regarded as desirable features, along with a balanced smile.

Role of Symmetry

Symmetry plays a vital role in the perception of attractiveness. A symmetrical face, where the right and left halves mirror each other, is considered more appealing.

However, perfect symmetry is rare in nature, and most facial asymmetries are minor and only noticeable by trained professionals.

Orthodontics and Facial Symmetry

Orthodontists aim to ensure that the midline of the face, an imaginary line running vertically down the center of the face, aligns with the two front teeth.

However, in some cases, the midline may deviate slightly due to minor tooth size imbalances or an uneven number of teeth. Nevertheless, these minor deviations are usually not noticeable to the untrained eye.

Interplay between Teeth and Facial Features

The proportion of your mouth and the position of your lips significantly impact the aesthetics of your smile and face.

Ideally, the mouth should constitute 50% of the face’s width, with the lips framing the smile. The upper lip position shouldn’t be too high, exposing excess gum, or too low, covering more than half of the front teeth’s height.

Impact of Jaw Shape

The width of your jaw directly influences the spacing of your teeth. A wider upper jaw tends to provide more room for your teeth, influencing your facial shape.

The size and shape of your jaw play a significant role in determining the face shape, with your forehead, cheekbones, and jaw ideally being equal in width.

Importance of Teeth Angle

The angle at which teeth emerge from the gums, or the emergence profile, affects the appearance of the smile. It also impacts the support for the lips and the fullness of the facial features.

A well-executed orthodontic treatment plan should balance the positions of the teeth with the facial soft tissues they support.

Role of Orthodontic Treatments

Orthodontics predominantly employs braces to rectify issues of misaligned teeth in both children and adults.

Braces can address a variety of dental problems, including overcrowding, misalignment, uneven spacing, and malocclusion issues like overbites and underbites.

While it’s commonly known that braces can modify your teeth’s appearance, they also significantly influence your facial aesthetics.

Various orthodontic problems can cause your lips, cheeks, and even your chin to appear uneven.

However, braces can help rectify these irregularities, enhancing your overall facial appearance and bolstering your confidence levels.  Let’s look at the benefits and the effects of braces.

Correction: Overbite and Underbite

Overbite refers to a condition where your upper teeth extend significantly beyond your lower teeth. Underbite is when your bottom teeth protrude further than the top ones.

These misalignments can influence your facial appearance, rendering your lower jaw undefined with a weak chin in the case of an overbite, or making your cheeks appear sunken in the case of an underbite.

Fortunately, braces can effectively correct these issues, subtly reshaping your face and accentuating your jawline.

Improving the Jawline

Even in the absence of overbite or underbite, braces can potentially enhance your jawline. When expertly fitted by an experienced orthodontist, braces can reshape your jawline by aligning your teeth.

In certain instances, additional treatments can facilitate more significant alterations to the jaw for a stronger facial structure.

Altering Mouth Shape

The shape of your mouth is intimately linked to the positioning of your teeth.

Many individuals with crooked teeth struggle to fully close their mouths, particularly those with an overbite. This can lead to a stretched mouth appearance.

Braces can help straighten your teeth and correct your bite, modifying the shape of your mouth to look more natural.

Changing Lip Appearance

Braces can also alter your lip appearance. As your teeth move into optimum positions, you may notice that your lips become fuller.

This is because the prominence or “fullness” of the lips is directly influenced by the forward position and alignment of the front teeth.

Making You Look Younger

Interestingly, braces can also contribute to a youthful look. By aligning your crooked teeth and revamping your facial shape, braces can impart a more youthful appearance.

Realigning your jawline can also help tighten the skin around your chin and mouth, effectively reducing wrinkles and signs of ageing.

Confidence Boost

Once your orthodontic treatment is completed, you’ll experience a surge in confidence and will want to show off your new smile at every opportunity.

This newfound confidence can transform your appearance, making you beam broadly at every person you meet.

Conclusion

Orthodontic treatment, particularly braces, can work wonders for both your smile and your facial aesthetics.

With the potential to improve your jawline, reshape your mouth, alter your lip appearance, and even make you look younger, braces truly offer a comprehensive solution for enhancing your appearance.

The extensive benefits that braces from a Perth Orthodontist  such as Perfect Smiles Orthodontist can provide truly present a holistic solution for boosting your aesthetic appeal.

With the significant transformation offered by braces to both your face and smile, it’s certainly an investment worth considering.