Are You Too Old for Braces?
- February 6, 2017
- 3 mins read
In an ideal world, keys on a piano and teeth along your gum line would line up equally perfectly. The bad news is that most people need to contend with poorly aligned bites, crowded smiles and crooked teeth. The answer is usually braces. The thing, adults feel that braces are for children and that they are simply too old to get them put in. But are they?
Problems such as these bring up more than cosmetic concerns. Overlapping or crowded teeth can be hard to clean and make gum disease and tooth decay more of a likelihood. Teeth that don’t properly come together when your mouth is closed, also known as a bad bite or malocclusion can cause swallowing or chewing problems. Poorly aligned teeth can also make it hard to pronounce some words and cause facial pain but stressing out chewing muscles. In adulthood, it is almost necessary to have straight teeth so that there would be no impediments in the daily routine.
Ideally, childhood is the time to straighten teeth. These days, however more and more adults opt for treatment from an orthodontist. One if five patients of orthodontists are over the age of eighteen, according to the American Association of Orthodontists.
Braces these days are made for all ages. They are less obtrusive and more comfortable than ever. There are fewer brackets and are smaller. The wires are more effective yet less noticeable than traditional braces. It takes about two hours to apply braces on teeth. You will find that the discomfort and soreness after getting them put in. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen do help. After getting braces re-adjusted every so often, there will be a bit of discomfort once more until teeth are completely straight.
Thus, even if you are already an adult, it is a good time to get braces. New innovations have made it so much easier to finally get those teeth straight.
Are you thinking of finally correcting that bite or cosmetic problem by getting orthodontic treatment? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
You might need to see a periodontist as well as an orthodontist and a dentist if you are planning to undergo orthodontic treatment. This will ensure that bone loss from gum disease won’t complicate the treatment.
- For adults, the process of getting braces might take longer. The process of getting teeth straight varies from one person to the next. For most adults, it takes about two years to straighten teeth completely.
- Structural change cannot be done without surgery for adult teeth. The reason for this is that adult bones have stopped growing.
Even if braces are traditionally put in for kids, more adults than ever are taking the option of having them put in. The reason is that braces are lighter, more effective and much more innovative than ever before. If you have been thinking of getting those teeth straightened, now really is the time to do it no matter what age you happen to be.