What you should know about adult orthodontics

These days, braces aren’t just for kids. As people are living longer, and advancements in medical and dental health continue, people are choosing to have their teeth corrected with orthodontics. If a person has good dental health, they can get braces – whether they’re twenty years old, or seventy years old!

 

 

There are multiple benefits to having braces as an adult:

• Closing gaps between teeth
• Fixing over/under/cross-bites
• Improving their smile
• Correctly aligned teeth are easier to care for via flossing and brushing

The most important thing to bear in mind when considering braces, good dental hygiene must be maintained, or they’ll cause more problems than they fix. Special care must be taken when a person has braces. Brushing after every meal is a must, and flossing properly will take roughly twenty minutes – also after every meal.

Thankfully, due to advancing technology, braces are no longer the gigantic metal bands that were around in the 80s and 90s. There are a number of options to choose from!

 

• Traditional braces:

 

• • Are much smaller nowadays, which makes them easier to clean and easier for a person’s mouth to adjust to. The orthodontist will tighten the wires every four to six weeks, and adults will typically have these for anywhere from eighteen months to three years.

 

• Ceramic braces:

 

• • Although more expensive, they’re harder to see, as the ceramic is the same color of the teeth.
    • Another option, if the visibility of the braces is a concern, is to have the metal brackets placed behind the teeth. It is important to note that this method is much more costly, as each bracket has to be custom fitted to the back of each tooth. This location also makes the braces more difficult to clean.

• Clear alignment braces:
  • These can be removed for eating and teeth cleaning, but they tend to take longer than traditional braces. They’re meant for minor adjustments. If a large tooth gap is an issue, than metal braces are the way to go

 

• Veneers:

 

• • A veneer is a thin layer of ceramic that cosmetically corrects any chipped or stained teeth, without actually moving anything around. Another thing to consider is the cost, as the dentist may need to shave some of the existing tooth to make the veneers look right.

If a person is considering braces, they should talk to their dentist about the options. They can make a recommendation based on the current state of their teeth, and refer a good orthodontist in the area. Need more information? Call Dr. Chauvin!