People of all ages can be good orthodontic candidates but only your Dentist or Orthodontist can determine whether you can benefit from orthodontics. Based on diagnostic tools that include a full medical and dental health history, a clinical exam, plaster models of your teeth, and special X-rays and photographs, an Orthodontist or Dentist can decide whether orthodontics are recommended, and develop a treatment plan that's right for you.

If you have any of the following, you may be a candidate for orthodontic treatment:

• Overbite, sometimes called "buck teeth" -- where the upper front teeth lie too far forward (stick out) over the lower teeth
• Underbite -- a "bulldog" appearance where the lower teeth are too far forward or the upper teeth too far back
• Crossbite -- when the upper teeth do not come down slightly in front of the lower teeth when biting together normally
• Open bite -- space between the biting surfaces of the front and/or side teeth when the back teeth bite together
• Misplaced midline -- when the center of your upper front teeth does not line up with the center of your lower front teeth
• Spacing -- gaps, or spaces, between the teeth as a result of missing teeth or teeth that do not "fill up" the mouth
• Crowding -- when there are too many teeth for the dental ridge to accommodate