Adult Orthodontics

There are a variety of dental treatment options that are designed specifically to meet the physical and lifestyle needs of adults. To straighten teeth quickly and discreetly, dentists now offer invisible braces and “instant orthodontics” with porcelain veneers.

Your life and your priorities are different than a child’s, and so is your mouth! That doesn’t mean that you’ve missed the opportunity to have straight, beautiful teeth, but it does mean that you need a program designed for a mouth that has finished growing. Whether you’re looking for clear or invisible braces, or porcelain veneers for an immediate transformation, your dentist has options designed with you in  mind. Read the sections below to learn more about adult dental orthodontic treatment.

Instant Orthodontics with Porcelain Veneers

Some cases of crooked teeth and gaps between teeth, even if they’re not severe, can have a significant impact on the way you feel about your smile. Still, the time, money, and pain of adult orthodontics just don’t seem worth the trouble. If you would like to improve the appearance of gaps or misaligned teeth, but cringe at the thought of routine orthodontic visits over the next couple of years, then “instant orthodontics” with porcelain veneers might be just what you’re looking for.

Can Adults Wear Braces?

Braces aren’t just for teenagers. No matter your age, it’s never too late to improve your dental health and beautify your smile. About 1 million Americans and Canadians over the age of 18 wear braces. As a result, general dentists today are more familiar with potential concerns and special needs of their adult patients. Some general dentists have the training to diagnose and treat orthodontic problems.

 Why do adults need braces?

Some adults never received orthodontic treatment as children to correct problems such as crooked or crowded teeth, overbites and underbites, incorrect jaw position or jaw joint disorders. If left untreated, these problems can result in tooth decay, gum disease, headaches and earaches, as well as speaking, biting or chewing problems.

Misaligned teeth can often lead to more problems than just embarrassing smiles – they can lead to receding gums, difficulty in maintaining basic dental care and increased risk of cavities and caries among a variety of other troubles. Thus, in cases of malocclusion (which is the scientific word for misaligned teeth), adult or not, straightening your teeth using orthodontic braces may be the right thing to do. And now, with ever-increasing dental awareness, adults have a plethora of options before them when it comes to dental braces which could straighten their teeth (and possibly their career and self-confidence!) Here are a few of the golden options:

Braces with colored brackets: Interested in showing your wild side? Are you an unabashedly flamboyant fashionista who believes in wearing matching accessories head to toe? Are you ready then to incorporate these brackets and wires in your lifestyle? Well then, instead of getting the usual off putting and dull gray-green ligating modules on your brackets, request your orthodontist to put in colorful ligature bands – like red, orange, or even fluorescent green! It’ll give you a reason to smile even with braces on. You can also get the bands changed with successive sittings to ensure maximum variety of colors in your mouth (or at least those that will match with your wardrobe collection!)

Ceramic bracket braces: This a good and reasonably affordable option for adults looking for braces. Here, the brackets used are made of composite materials and hence, being tooth-colored, blend in with the teeth, making them less noticeable than traditional metal braces. However, being made of a sensitive material like composite, patients availing this option need to be extra careful so as to avoid staining the brackets due to excessive smoking, or intake of tea, coffee and cold drinks. On the whole, these braces have a camouflage effect, thus, being a popular option for adults looking for affordable and aesthetic treatment options.

Invisalign braces: This is yet another aesthetically pleasing option for adults. In invisalign braces, straightening of teeth is done using plastic clear removable aligners, which are to be worn for certain fixed periods of time (normally two to three weeks) before they are replaced by slightly tighter sets of aligners. They can be removed while eating and cleaning teeth. However, this advantage of being a conveniently removable treatment option is often abused. Invisalign braces are to be preferably worn for longer time spans to ensure effectiveness of the treatment. But it is indeed one of the best options for adults looking to have their teeth aligned in a quick and highly aesthetic manner.

So now, instead of fighting tooth and nail with your conscience about whether to get braces as adults or not, you can easily and confidently stride into your work place with braces on, and look forward to an enviously aligned set of pearly whites in a matter of months!

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Orthodontics

West Office 702.924.1527 East Office 702.924.1526

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