Dental braces are devices used to retain your teeth structures. While well-structured and white teeth may be seen as a necessary measure of beauty, there are other reasons or signs showing that you might need to start using dental braces.

Here are five signs for you to know when it’s time to start using dental braces.

Chewing Difficulties

The easiest way to find out whether or not you might need dental braces is by the way you chew your food. If you find yourself frequently biting the side of your cheeks, that means your teeth are not properly aligned.

Additionally, you can also examine the way your teeth align when you bite down. If your upper teeth cover more than half of your lower teeth, it will result in an overbite and vice versa. Moreover, an improper position of your upper teeth results in a crossbite that may lead to facial asymmetry.

Wide Gaps between Teeth

You can also examine the gap between your teeth. If a gap is too wide, you will generally have impaired biting and chewing function from your teeth. Unproportional small teeth may cause the excess gap between teeth.

Bad Breath

While bad breath is mostly associated with your throat conditions, it can also be a warning sign of bacteria in your teeth or gums. If you feel that you have constant bad breath even though you regularly brush your teeth and floss, it is possible that the bad breath is caused by bacteria that make a home in your teeth.

These bacteria usually inhabit crooked or broken teeth. This leads to excess pus present in your gums and creates bad breath.

Frequent Jaw Discomfort

Incorrect jaw position can cause frequent pain. This is caused by the extra stress on your jaw hinges. Dental braces are needed to align your teeth and your jaw properly.

Early Loss of Baby Teeth

As a child, you experience the loss of baby teeth that were eventually replaced by permanent teeth. However, prematurely losing your baby teeth may cause teeth misalignment. This is because when you lose your baby teeth prematurely, there’s a considerable chance that the permanent teeth replacing the baby teeth are not developed and grown yet.

Of course, you can always consult with your orthodontist if you notice a crooked or broken tooth. However, don’t to forget to observe these signs as it can help you to have healthier teeth and gums.