Needing orthodontic treatment as an adult is often frustrating. You may desire straight teeth especially if you’ve needed orthodontic care since childhood and just didn’t receive it.
Needing orthodontic treatment as an adult is often frustrating. You may desire straight teeth, especially if you’ve needed orthodontic care since childhood and just didn’t receive it. While you’ve probably seen the wonder of metal braces over and over again prevail as an effective treatment, as you watched several of your friends’ kids finish treatment with beautiful smiles, you may be on the fence if that’s honestly a solution for you.
Fortunately, various options for orthodontic treatment for adults exist, and one may be a better fit for you than traditional metal braces. Let’s discuss your main options.
Traditional Metal Braces
These are what people typically think of when they picture someone with braces, and the first image that pops into their mind is a kid wearing them. While today’s spin on classic braces uses the same concept of metal brackets with ligatures (O-rings) and an archwire running through them. Although they essentially scream you’re getting your teeth fixed, they’re highly effective at treating even complex cases. They’re also highly accurate because they move teeth individually, so they can ultimately treat certain issues that clear aligners couldn’t.
Your first thought may be that you’re too old for this type of braces. You, however, should know that today’s versions are smaller and less obvious than they ever were in the past. So, it won’t be the first thing other people notice about you.
Treatments nowadays aren’t nearly as lengthy as they used to be, either. On average, you usually only spend 18 to 24 months in braces, with people with minor cases wearing them for less than a year. Even the complex cases usually only take 24 to 36 months. Braces of the past often took a minimum of two to four years, sometimes longer.
Moreover, through technology, planning your treatment and having the actual braces shift your teeth, the treatment is typically more efficient and predictable than before.
Self-Ligating Braces
Self-ligating braces are touted as an upgraded or more modern version of traditional metal braces. With these, you don’t have the ligatures in the center that you can choose the color of. Instead, these modern braces have sliding doors or clips. In some cases, these reduce friction and lead to a shorter treatment time.
Adjustment Information
Because of the design, these usually take less time to adjust. Therefore, you’ll have shorter follow-up appointments. Some patients even need fewer appointments in general.
Rather than needing to remove the elastic O-rings to make adjustments, your orthodontist will use a specialized tool to open and close the clips or sliding doors. When open, the orthodontist will adjust the archwire before closing them so you can continue your treatment.
Dental Hygiene
When you don’t have the O-rings, you have fewer places where plaque can build up around your brackets during the treatment process. These braces also have fewer places for food to hide. You can brush and floss your teeth more easily with them as well. For all these reasons, you can better care for your teeth and potentially prevent cavities and gum disease that you’d be more at risk for if you had traditional braces.
Staining
You won’t have to deal with staining from the elastic ties at the end of your treatment. Since you don’t have any elastic ties, you won’t have this staining, and your teeth will retain their whiteness.
Comfort
Some patients say they feel less pressure after adjustments, though they’re still receiving the same amount of pressure to keep the treatment progressing. They also state that the braces feel smoother against their cheeks, and this adult orthodontic treatment has fewer irritation points in general.
Case Complexity
Even if you have a complex case, you can use these braces. These effectively treat various alignment concerns, serious spacing issues, and both overbites and underbites. They can be a solution for mild or moderate cases as well.
Ceramic Braces
Ceramic braces may either have a traditional design or use self-ligation. That means they have the same properties as the category they fall under, such as the time they take to correct the issue as well as how easy it is to care for them.
With ceramic braces, the brackets are either tooth-colored or clear, so they’re not as noticeable on your teeth. They still have the archwire going through them.
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces work like traditional braces. They’re more customized to a patient than other forms of braces. However, they’re nearly invisible because your dentist positions them on the back side of your teeth toward your tongue.
These braces treat basically the same types of issues and severity of them as traditional braces, including tooth rotations. Because the elastics are on the back of the teeth, you won’t have noticeable staining at the end of your treatment.
We often encourage musicians and some types of athletes to select this option because it’s an orthodontic treatment for adults that’s less likely to irritate their lips compared to other metal braces.
Invisalign/Clear Aligners
Braces might be thought of as a children’s and teen orthodontic treatment, even for early intervention purposes. Invisalign originated as a treatment mainly for adults and teens. Now, it’s a treatment for children as well. However, adults frequently choose this treatment for how discreet it is, especially for those who are frequently conducting presentations in front of groups or who are constantly around other adults.
How It Works
This orthodontic treatment works the same in the sense that it moves the teeth into better positioning using gentle force. It moves all the teeth together, which leads to a quicker treatment than metal braces for many patients. Ultimately, it’s an ideal treatment for either mild or moderate cases.
Aesthetics
Everyone knows you have traditional braces as soon as you smile, but with clear aligners, they’re not drawing attention to your smile. Instead, they’re clear and not very apparent. Someone could tell you have them on if they look closely, but because they’re translucent, unless someone focuses, they won’t notice they’re on.
Freedom to Eat What You Want
When you have traditional braces, you have restrictions on what you can eat. The sky is the limit when it comes to Invisalign. You can eat anything you want, though you still want to watch how much sugar and acid you consume to protect your teeth from cavities. With these, you take out the aligners to eat anyway, so you don’t have to give up popcorn and the other snacks you love.
Oral Hygiene
You can take care of your teeth like you do any other time. You take off the aligners to brush and floss each day, so this reduces the likelihood of developing cavities or gum disease throughout your orthodontic treatment.
Treatment Duration
Overall, the treatment is quicker than it is with braces. Most people only need Invisalign for a year or so, though some may need the treatment for over 18 months if it’s a complex case.
When you decide you want to look into orthodontic treatment for adults, you can feel relieved that you don’t only have the option of standard metal braces. Today’s options help you feel more comfortable and confident throughout treatment. Plus, Invisalign has revolutionized teeth straightening in general, but particularly for those 18 and older. At WOW! Smiles, Dr. Bernstein and the team offer multiple treatments and will help you find the one to get you the smile you desire in a way that fits into your life.
Contact us today at (844) 900-4969 to book a consultation and let us be your first step to a better smile.
FAQs
WOW! Smiles is committed to helping patients make informed decisions about which adult orthodontic treatment will benefit them most. If you have questions, we have answers. Take a look at the inquiries patients have most often with us.
Is orthodontic treatment possible for adults?
Orthodontic treatment for adults is not only possible, but it’s also common. It’s beneficial for people who never received orthodontic care as a child, had changes in the position of their teeth after having braces, and more.
Can I pay $100 a month for braces?
We offer financing to our patients and aim to find a comfortable monthly payment for each person or family. Once you figure out how much you’ll need to pay out of pocket, we’ll ask you questions about how much you can comfortably afford and will try to work within your budget.
Is $5,000 a lot for Invisalign?
No, $5,000 is a pretty standard price for Invisalign if you have a moderate case. The average is $3,000 to $8,000.
Is adult orthodontics worth it?
If you’re worried about the health of your mouth and/or have aesthetic concerns, adult orthodontic treatment can definitely be worth it.
What age is too late for braces?
Generally, there isn’t a cut-off age when it’s too late for braces. If you feel you’d benefit from correcting misalignments or other similar issues and have healthy gums, it’s often in your best interest.