Types of teeth braces can fix
Braces can correct crowding, spacing and many bite problems by applying controlled force to teeth and coordinating the upper and lower arches.
The short answer
Braces can correct crowding, spacing and many bite problems by applying controlled force to teeth and coordinating the upper and lower arches. They may address rotations, protrusion, open bite, deep bite, crossbite and some tooth-position problems when the supporting bone and jaws permit movement.
How do fixed braces move teeth into position?
Fixed braces use brackets bonded to teeth, an archwire and ligatures or clips to deliver force. The appliance moves crowns and roots through bone, while elastics or other auxiliaries can add forces that change the relationship between the arches.
What should be assessed before choosing braces?
Have the bite, jaw growth, gum health, enamel and tooth roots assessed before choosing an appliance. Brush carefully around brackets, clean between teeth, avoid damaging foods, and attend adjustment visits so the wire forces can be controlled.
When should tooth alignment be assessed by an orthodontist?
Seek an orthodontic assessment for teeth that overlap, gaps that retain food, a crossbite, difficulty biting, or teeth that protrude. Contact the orthodontic team for severe pain, trauma, a broken wire or swelling around a tooth.
What should you ask about tooth movement and jaw growth?
Ask which part of the problem is tooth movement and which part is jaw growth or skeletal structure. Ask whether space creation, elastics, extraction or coordinated specialist care is needed, and how retention will maintain the result.
Frequently asked questions
Can braces move roots as well as crowns?
With controlled orthodontic forces, treatment can change both crown and root position within the supporting bone.
Do braces fix every jaw problem?
No. Some skeletal discrepancies require growth guidance or combined orthodontic and jaw-surgery planning.
Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.