John Mew, who has died aged 96, was a maverick orthodontist who in the 1980s pioneered a discipline he called “orthotropics”, which aimed to fix the root cause of crooked teeth – and ...

For these reasons, braces have long been a popular choice for treating misaligned teeth and jaws. The only proven alternative to braces is jaw surgery, for which not everyone meets the criteria.

See an orthodontist: If cheek biting is related to improper alignment of the teeth or jaw, orthodontic treatment can help eliminate any underlying structural issues.

Half a century later, the braces would be the only thing keeping what little remains of your teeth from falling apart. Your jaw may have permanently changed shape from years of unnatural pressure.