Braces are for teenagers. During the teenage years, it's socially acceptable wear braces, tooth movement occurs at a fast rate, and long-term problems arising from traumatic bite can be prevented. If you're an adult, you have unfortunately missed the boat, no matter how unhappy with your smile you are and no matter whether your malaligned teeth are causing you medical problems. Correct?
No, actually. While the teenage years are universally seen as the best time to get braces, adults are increasingly deciding to get orthodontic treatment. The reason for not getting orthodontic treatment during the teenage years can range from parents' inability to afford the treatment or the patient becoming more self-conscious and aware, to relapses necessitating new treatment.
You're Never Too Old For Orthodontic Treatment (Unless You Have Dentures)
People of any age can undergo orthodontic treatment without any trouble whatsoever. The basic process that the treatment follows remains the same, though it may take significantly longer to complete. Tooth movement due to orthodontic treatment takes place by applying slow, regulated pressure on the teeth through precisely placed brackets and the arch wires which go through them. Only a certain amount of pressure can be applied to the patient’s teeth without damaging the underlying bone, something that ends up delaying the tooth movement even more.
The exact treatment time depends upon the kind of malocclusion that exists beforehand.
Less Conspicuous Braces Are An Option
The one thing holding adults back from getting orthodontic treatment is the social embarrassment that braces may cause. There is no question that a few years back getting braces after your teenage years was seen as an oddity, however that is becoming much less of a thing.
If you're not sure you can or want to pull the "braces look" off, the full range of treatment options include the much less visible ceramic braces as well as the more traditional metal braces. There are some particularly complicated cases dealing with vertical discrepancies that are better dealt with metal braces however for the large majority, patients can opt for ceramic braces.
READ Orthodontic Braces: Common (And Less Common) Questions Answered
Ceramic braces are usually more expensive than regular metal braces and they may not be covered by your insurance company. They are also more prone to being broken and require more diligent care on the side of the patient. Nowadays, ceramic braces with ceramic coated wires are available which are even lesser conspicuous than ceramic braces.
The drawback with this kind of braces is that they are often a lot more difficult for the patient to adjust to, maintaining hygiene can be tricky, and the treatment time is longer than with conventional braces.
Braces For Adults Are Easier To Get Than Ever Before
Can You Get Aligners?
Aligners or invisible braces are taking the orthodontic world by storm nowadays. Every patient seems to have heard of them and is at least interested in knowing more about them. These aligners are an extremely good option for patients who are in jobs where they deal with members of the public, and cannot afford to have braces "seen" at all.
These aligners do not have any wires or brackets attached to them and are almost impossible to notice. They are also Removable, so they can be taken out before an important meeting or while attending a party.
The way that these aligners function is that the company fabricating them will do a computer analysis of your occlusion and predict the movement of your teeth over time using these aligners. This algorithm to predict the movement is of course proprietary and not shared with the doctors.
There are many advantages to this treatment and is quite possibly the best option for adults who are keen to get orthodontic treatment done while being as discrete as possible. One thing to be kept in mind is the importance of case selection in such cases.
There are only certain kinds of cases that can be treated with the use of aligners alone and the majority of failure cases can be attributed to improper selection of cases right in the beginning. The treatment time can range from a few months to over a year depending upon the case itself.
Some doctors may opt to offer their patients a combination of treatment options in which the bulk of the movements are carried out with the use of aligners, while the final finishing is done by the use of fixed orthodontics.
Aligners are usually much more expensive than conventional orthodontic treatment and are unlikely to be covered by insurance agencies. One thing for patients to explore is medical tourism for getting aligners. Since the analysis and the fabrication is done by the same company worldwide there is no chance of any substandard product being provided to you, while the cost may be less than half.
READ How To Straighten Your Teeth Without Braces
Conclusion
People are more aware of the problems arising from misaligned teeth than ever before and are keen to get orthodontic treatment for esthetic as well as health purposes. Age and social convention should not be a barrier for people looking to make a change to their appearance. If the end result helps someone gain self confidence and feel positive about them then each and every effort should be made to provide them the treatment.
Sources & Links
- Photo courtesy of Haleyface via Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/haleynealphotography/2198305693
- Photo courtesy of Haleyface via Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/haleynealphotography/2198305693
- Photo courtesy of Steve Snodgrass via Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/7356300192