Male Celebrities

One of the most famous men who wore braces is actor Tom Cruise. Cruise appeared in movies like Top Gun and Mission Impossible before he decided to fix his crooked teeth. The actor was 39 when he first stepped out wearing braces. He wore the braces while filming and working on his next movies. He might have inspired actor Nicholas Cage to visit to the orthodontist too. The actor who starred in Con Air and Leaving Las Vegas got his braces in 2003. His new smile helped him land the title role in Ghost Rider. Danny Glover of Lethal Weapon also decided to change his smile by using braces. The actor revealed his braces in 2006, and he continued working on movies while wearing them. Glover chose clear braces, which reduced the visibility of the braces.

Famous Females

Lyndsey Fonesca starred on a television soap opera, but she later decided to straighten her teeth with braces. The actress revealed her braces at the Daytime Emmy Awards, and she later earned roles in Hot Tub Time Machine and How I Met Your Mother. Actress Dakota Fanning made a name for herself as a child actress. In 2006, she revealed that she also wore braces by showing off her smile on a publicity tour for one of her movies. Fanning came back to Hollywood after getting the braces off with starring roles in the Twilight franchise and The Runaways. Madonna’s daughter and rising fashion designer Lourdes Leon also wears braces. Leon flashed her braces on the red carpet.

Just for Fun

When No Doubt found fame and fortune in the late 1990s, many fans noticed that singer Gwen Stefani wore braces. Instead of the invisible braces popular with most celebrities, Stefani chose the old-fashioned stainless steel variety. Stefani wore the braces during publicity tours, photo shoots and concerts. Recently, Stefani revealed that she didn’t need to wear the braces, but she thought they were a fun accessory.

Stefani is not the only celebrity who wore braces for publicity. Model Cindy Crawford wore braces when she was a child, and the model later wore a fake pair of braces when shooting a commercial for Pepsi. America Ferrera never needed braces until she landed a role on Ugly Betty. The producers wanted the Betty character to look out of place in the high fashion world, so the producers added metal braces to the wardrobe. These celebrities helped make braces look fashionable.

The symptoms associated with TMJ include jaw joint pain, problems chewing food, pain in or near your ear and pain in the muscles of the face, temples, neck and even shoulders. People with TMJ may also have recurrent headaches, locking jaws and an uncomfortable or uneven bite. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, along with clicking of the jaw joint, you may have TMJ and should be evaluated by a dentist or orthodontist for a diagnosis and treatment plan.

TMJ disorders are often caused by damage to the disc inside the joint, which can be due to misaligned bite or a variety of other causes. If the disc in the jaw joints moves out of alignment, TMJ symptoms may also occur. People who grind or clinch their teeth while they sleep are at an increased risk of developing a TMJ disorder. Women who are between the ages of 30 and 50 are most likely to develop this problem. Those who were born with a deformation of the jaw joint or those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome are also at increased risk of potential TMJ problems.

You dentist or orthodontist will perform a physical evaluation to determine if you have a TMJ disorder. It may also be necessary to obtain an X-ray, CT scan or MRI of your jaw joint to confirm the diagnosis. Symptoms sometimes disappear on their own with no treatment. If your symptoms are persistent or severe, your doctor may prescribe medications for the pain, muscle relaxation or reduction of inflammation. You may also require a bite splint (or “night guard”), which is typically worn at night to protect the joints, muscles and teeth during grinding activity. If you have missing teeth or a misaligned bite surface, orthodontic tooth movement may be necessary. TMJ surgery is only performed as a last resort, when all other treatment methods have failed to relieve your pain.