Most people assume that children and teenagers are the ones who get braces installed in their mouths. In fact, for many it’s a right of passage that shows a young person they are transforming from a child to an adult.
However, it’s not just young people who have braces. In fact, there are millions of adults well over the age of 18 who have braces. There are countless adult braces options for people these days and adult orthodontics is a very popular and prominent field in modern dentistry.
If you are an adult who is about to get braces, you will have many questions. You may be asking: how much are braces going to cost? What are the adult braces options that are right for my budget and my needs? Does Invisalign work better than braces? How long will I need them installed for? How do I keep them clean?
If you’re an adult who is getting braces, chances are that you weren’t a teen who had them. Therefore, you have a few queries that need to be addressed. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to answer them and multiple approaches to take with adult braces that will result in a happy and healthy mouth.
Why Adults Get Braces
The truth is that teeth may need to be straightened at any point in your life. It is not just young people who have crooked teeth.
Adults need braces for a number of reasons. Teeth and their alignment change over the years and you might have misalignment in your mouth in your thirties and forties that you simply didn’t have in your teens.
Other adults have medical issues that lead to the need for braces. Maybe there was an accident that impaired your smile. Maybe another dental operation requires you get your teeth straight. Or maybe your smile just generally drifted over the years and doesn’t look as it did when you were younger.
Whatever the reason, there is nothing wrong with adults needing to have braces installed. And when the time comes, you need to know your options and style choices.
Traditional
Many people will elect to use the traditional, metal-looking braces for their orthodontic needs. These require that your doctor put metal brackets, usually made from stainless steel, onto your teeth, which are then attached to wires held together by rubber bands. We have all seen people who have metal braces and there is a reason for that: they get the job done.
However, at an older age, you may elect to go with something that isn’t so common with younger patients.
Ceramic
Adults getting braces often choose to have ceramic because they blend into the mouth better and are often colored to match the teeth in your mouth. This means that they aren’t as obvious or easy to be caught by the naked eye.
They are also usually more comfortable than traditional, metal braces. At your age, you might be willing to put up a bit more money for that level of comfort, considering you’ll be wearing these braces all day, everyday.
Lingual Braces
Some people are really uncomfortable with the look of rubber bands for braces being clear to friends and strangers. If you are one of those people, you can elect to get lingual braces. This unique type of braces are just like traditional ones, but the brackets and the wires are hidden on the inside of the teeth, which makes them less visible to other people.
This is great for you if you don’t want the world to see your braces. But you have to remember that they will be harder to clean. Additionally, they might cause sores first since they are on the inside of your mouth, behind the teeth. They can often rub against your tongue and your gums in an uncomfortable way.
Aligners
Today, many people choose to get aligners instead of traditional braces. These are in fact very common with adult patients who don’t want the old-school, old-fashioned look that metal braces have.
With aligners, you get a single mouth guard that is made specifically for your mouth. Aligners are designed to move your teeth slowly but surely over time, just like other types of braces. There are also retainers, that keep your teeth in place instead of adjusting and moving them.
Retainers are generally used for a short amount of time but aligners are typically used for the entire day.
How Long Do Braces Take?
Before you agree to having adult braces, you will want to know just how long you will need them in your mouth.
This is going to vary from person to person, based upon the causes and concerns that need to be addressed by your orthodontist. However, most common braces treatments last a half to two years to complete.
Of course, with more severe cases, the braces might be on longer. Some people have their braces on for up to three years, which is definitely a long amount of time.
You will go over all of this with your orthodontist before you agree to anything.
How To Make Them Work Faster
If you don’t want to have your braces on for longer than planned, there are certain things that you can do to ensure they get the job done as quickly as possible.
For example, if you wear your elastics whenever ordered, the braces will work better. Also, you should work hard to keep your braces clean, brushing along your gum line and making sure food doesn’t get stuck in them.
You can still eat with your braces on but you should be careful to eat gently so that the wires within your braces don’t break.
You should also make sure that you attend every single appointment your orthodontist makes. This will make certain that your braces are working like they’re supposed to and any changes needed will be addressed. The more you see your doctor, the faster this entire process will take.
Looking for adult braces options for yourself? Contact Orthodontics Limited for immediate assistance in meeting your needs.
