If you have crooked teeth or alignment issues, it’s never too late to do something about the situation. Braces for adults are more common than ever, and you have choices beyond what was available just a few years ago. Did you know that as many as one-third of Invictus Modern Dentistry’s San Diego orthodontic patients are adults?
Why are braces of one kind or another such a common thing? The answer is simple: They work. Braces for adults and children provide predictable, accurate results for a variety of orthodontic needs. While treatment may take a bit longer than it would have when your jaw was still growing, you can get all the benefits that a child gets from braces – at any age.
Improved Self-Esteem Is Just One Benefit
If there’s something negatively impacting your appearance that can be corrected, why wouldn’t you do it? Braces for adults can correct crooked or misaligned teeth that may be causing self-confidence and self-esteem issues. Plus, alignment issues can cause problems with biting, chewing and speaking. And you may be less likely to have tooth decay and gum concerns if your teeth are properly spaced so they can be easily cleaned.
Specifically, here in list form are some of the benefits of braces:
- You get less tooth decay when teeth are well-spaced and can be cleaned easily.
- Cleaner teeth mean less chance of gum disease.
- Teeth that stick out are more likely to be injured, so you may have less risk of dental injury.
- Chewing your food with properly aligned teeth can mean better chewing and therefore fewer digestive problems and stomach aches.
Take note that any existing oral health issues you have – like gum disease or decayed teeth – need to be treated before you move forward with braces for adults.
Braces For Adults Aren’t All Alike
For decades, traditional braces did the job just fine for both children and adults, and they’re still used in some cases today. Traditional braces are strong and don’t usually stain teeth. They involve brackets glued to the front of teeth and then connected together with a wire – called an “arch wire” – that presses gently on your teeth, pulling them into proper alignment over time.
While the glued-on brackets are often metal, tooth-colored choices are now available, as are clear brackets. Ceramic brackets are usually the most comfortable for patients, but smoking, drinking wine or coffee and other foods and beverages can easily stain them.
Today, many dental patients have chosen to forget about brackets and wires and go with Invisalign invisible braces, which involve precisely made aligner trays. These trays that fit over your teeth and are worn for 20 to 22 hours each day are invisible, removable and comfortable. That means they’re less of a hassle than traditional braces and can even be removed for an important event like a job interview or dinner party.
The trade-off is that Invisalign is a bit more expensive than traditional braces – and not everyone’s teeth can be corrected with invisible braces. So you may have to choose traditional braces instead.
It’s also important to point out a third kind of adult orthodontics called lingual braces that fit on the tongue side of the teeth, but these can be expensive and can interfere with speech sometimes.
Learn more about this topic on our Braces For Adults page.
And contact us to schedule your appointment. At Invictus Modern Dentistry in San Diego, we exist to serve you – and we want to correct your alignment issues. Braces for adults and children can fit into your budget, fit into your lifestyle and change your life.