This question comes up constantly in orthodontic consultations, and the honest answer is: it depends on what is being corrected. Wearing braces can change your face, but not always in the way people expect, and not always dramatically. For some patients the changes are subtle and mostly about tooth alignment. For others, especially those with significant bite issues, the profile shift is genuinely visible.
Smile Solutions Orthodontics has helped over 12,000 patients across Edison, Millburn, Union, and surrounding communities including Kenilworth achieve results that improve both their smiles and their facial balance. This guide explains exactly what braces do and do not change about the face.
The Short Answer: What Braces Actually Move
Braces move teeth. They do not move bones directly, and they do not reshape the soft tissue of the face on their own. But because the teeth, jaw, and facial soft tissue are all connected, moving the teeth often produces visible secondary changes in the surrounding structures.
The extent of those changes depends entirely on what is being corrected. A patient getting braces purely for cosmetic crowding of otherwise well-aligned teeth will see minimal facial change. A patient correcting a significant overbite or underbite may see a noticeable shift in jaw position, lip projection, and profile.
| What Braces Can Change | What Braces Do Not Change | What Varies by Case |
| Tooth alignment and spacing | Bone structure of the jaw | Lip projection |
| Bite relationship | Nose shape or size | Chin appearance |
| Jaw position in bite cases | Overall face shape | Profile balance |
| Lip support from teeth | Eye or forehead structure | Smile width |
Will Wearing Braces Change Your Face? Area by Area
The Jaw
Wearing braces can change your face most noticeably when there is a significant bite problem to correct. In overbite cases, where the upper teeth protrude forward of the lower, correcting the bite brings the lower jaw into a more forward position, which can noticeably improve the profile. In underbite cases, where the lower jaw sits forward, correction creates a more balanced relationship between the upper and lower jaw.
For patients without significant bite discrepancies, jaw position changes from braces alone are minimal. Jaw-level skeletal changes in adults generally require surgical intervention, which is beyond what braces accomplish on their own. In growing children and teens, however, functional appliances combined with braces can guide jaw development more substantially.
The Lips
Lips rest against the teeth. When teeth move, the soft tissue of the lips adjusts accordingly. The most common lip change from braces involves the nasolabial angle, the relationship between the nose and upper lip.
Patients with protruding upper teeth often find that correcting the protrusion allows the upper lip to sit slightly further back, which can reduce the appearance of a pronounced or strained upper lip. Conversely, patients who have teeth extracted as part of orthodontic treatment may notice a slight reduction in lip projection as the remaining teeth are brought back.
Extraction cases: When premolars are extracted to create space for crowded teeth, the front teeth are retracted into that space. This can change lip projection, sometimes noticeably. Dr. Chung at Smile Solutions Orthodontics approaches extraction decisions conservatively, as the goal is always to achieve the best long-term facial balance alongside a straight smile.
The Profile
The profile change most patients notice is related to the relationship between the nose, lips, and chin. When a significant overbite is corrected, the lower jaw moves forward and the chin appears more prominent. When severely protruding teeth are retracted, the lip flattens slightly and the nose-to-chin relationship looks more balanced.
These changes are typically positive, which is why orthodontists evaluate facial profile as part of treatment planning, not just tooth alignment. The goal is a result that is both straight and proportionate.
The Chin
The chin does not change shape. What changes is how the chin relates to the rest of the profile once the bite is corrected. A patient with a strong overbite who appears to have a recessed chin often finds that once the lower jaw comes forward into proper alignment, the chin no longer looks as recessed. The chin itself is identical. The context around it changed.
The Difference Between Children, Teens, and Adults
Age matters significantly in this conversation. The facial bones are still growing in children and teenagers, which means orthodontic treatment during these years has more potential to influence jaw development alongside tooth alignment.
| Patient Age | What Braces Can Realistically Influence |
| Children (under 12) | Jaw growth guidance with functional appliances, early bite correction |
| Teens (12 to 17) | Most significant facial balance improvements during active growth |
| Adults (18 and older) | Tooth alignment and bite correction; skeletal changes require surgery |
For Kenilworth teens and their families considering treatment, braces for teens at Smile Solutions Orthodontics are timed to take advantage of this active growth period. For adults, the tooth and bite changes that braces produce are still meaningful and often produce visible facial improvements even without skeletal movement.
What About Invisalign? Does It Change the Face Differently?
Invisalign moves teeth through the same biological process as braces. The facial changes that result from aligner therapy are equivalent to those from braces when the same corrections are made. The key variable is what is being corrected, not the appliance type. The braces vs. Invisalign comparison at Smile Solutions covers the functional and lifestyle differences in detail, which is worth reading if you are deciding between the two.
For complex bite corrections, fixed braces often provide more predictable three-dimensional control than aligners. For primarily cosmetic crowding cases, the facial outcomes are nearly identical between the two.
Realistic Expectations: What to Discuss at the Consultation
The most useful thing any patient can do before starting treatment is have an honest conversation about facial outcomes at the initial consultation. At Smile Solutions Orthodontics, Dr. Chung and Dr. Epshteyn review the facial profile as part of every treatment plan alongside the dental correction goals.
Questions worth asking before treatment begins include: Will correcting my bite change my profile? Is there a risk of my lips flattening? Would extraction affect my facial appearance? Are there non-extraction alternatives for my case? A thorough review of the orthodontic treatment options available helps frame these questions before the consultation.
12,000 patients treated: Dr. Chung and Dr. Epshteyn at Smile Solutions have the case volume to have seen the full range of facial outcomes across different correction types. That experience is what produces treatment plans that account for facial balance, not just straight teeth.
Braces near Kenilworth at Smile Solutions Orthodontics
For Kenilworth residents considering braces, Smile Solutions Orthodontics in Edison is the closest full-service orthodontic practice. The Edison office is located at 3900 Park Ave, Suite 103, approximately 10 to 15 minutes from Kenilworth. Braces near Kenilworth at Smile Solutions are provided by Dr. Christopher Chung, who has over 20 years of experience, is a published author on orthodontics, and was one of the first orthodontists in northeast New Jersey to adopt SureSmile technology, and by Dr. Epshteyn, recognized seven years running by New Jersey Magazine as one of the state’s finest orthodontists.
Free consultations are available with no obligation. The orthodontist near Kenilworth, NJ page covers the full range of treatment options available at the practice.
Edison: 3900 Park Ave, Suite 103, Edison, NJ 08820
Millburn: 231 Millburn Ave, Millburn, NJ 07041
Union: 381 Chestnut St, Union, NJ 07083
Call or Text: (973) 376-0496
Book Your Free Consultation at Smile Solutions Orthodontics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will wearing braces change your face?
It depends on what is being corrected. Wearing braces can change your face when there is a significant bite problem, because correcting the bite shifts the jaw relationship and the surrounding soft tissue follows. For cases involving primarily cosmetic tooth crowding without a significant bite issue, the facial changes are minimal. The most common visible changes are in the lip projection, jaw position, and profile balance.
Do braces change your jawline?
Braces can change how your jawline appears by correcting the bite relationship between the upper and lower jaw. A significant overbite correction often makes the lower jaw and chin appear more prominent once the lower teeth are brought into proper alignment. The actual bone structure does not change from braces alone in adults, but the proportional appearance can shift noticeably.
Will braces make my lips thinner?
Not inherently. Lips rest against the teeth, and their position is influenced by where the teeth sit. If braces correct a protrusion, the upper lip may settle slightly further back, which some patients describe as less strained. If premolar extractions are involved and the front teeth are retracted, there may be some reduction in lip fullness. This is case-specific and discussed at the treatment planning stage.
Do braces change your face more in teens than adults?
Yes, generally. In growing teenagers, braces combined with functional appliances can guide jaw development alongside tooth alignment. Adults have completed jaw growth, so facial changes from braces are limited to the secondary effects of tooth and bite correction. Both age groups can achieve meaningful improvements, but the mechanisms and extent of facial change differ.
How long does it take to see facial changes from braces?
Visible changes in profile and jaw position typically become apparent during the second half of treatment, once significant tooth and bite movements have occurred. Most patients complete active treatment in 14 to 24 months. The final facial result is best assessed a few weeks after braces are removed, once the soft tissue has fully settled.
Where can I get braces near Kenilworth, NJ?
Smile Solutions Orthodontics in Edison is the closest full-service orthodontic practice to Kenilworth. Braces near Kenilworth are available from Dr. Chung and Dr. Epshteyn at the Edison office on Park Ave, approximately 10 to 15 minutes from Kenilworth. Free consultations with no obligation. Call or text (973) 376-0496.