Orthodontic irregularities such as overcrowding, malocclusion (i.e., overbites or underbites), and misalignment, can affect the shape of your face, making your lips protrude unnaturally, preventing your lips from touching, or causing your chin and cheeks to look weak and sunken.  Improving the alignment of your teeth and jaws restores facial symmetry, better defines your facial features, and creates a more flattering, more natural-looking profile. Braces and other orthodontic treatments do this by applying constant, gentle pressure to bones in your facial structure.  How much your facial structure will change as a result of braces depends a lot on the severity of your orthodontic problems and your age. The facial bones in older patients are denser and harder to move, making for more subtle changes, while younger patients with more malleable jaws will experience more noticeable changes.