Traditional braces for adults are a great opportunity to both get the orthodontic treatment that might not have happened when you were younger or to correct issues that have developed since you had braces for the first time. Maybe you were one of those kids who had straight enough teeth that you or your parents opted not to have treatment. Or perhaps you had braces but haven’t been as good at wearing your retainers as maybe you should have been.
No matter the reason, now is the right time to correct orthodontic issues. First, traditional braces in adults are more common than people realize; more than a quarter of orthodontic treatments are given to adults. Second, putting off orthodontic treatments might save money in the short run, but patients risk more serious and costly issues emerging by putting off orthodontic treatment.
Why get Braces now if I Never Needed Them Before?
Orthodontic treatments are not just to create a straighter smile. Correcting crooked, overcrowded, or otherwise misaligned teeth has many health benefits. Misaligned teeth can create many problems. It’s more difficult to clean teeth and gums when teeth are moderately overcrowded or crooked. You are also more prone to having issues like nighttime teeth grinding, clenching, and other wear and tear on teeth. Neglecting this can result in more costly issues with intensive treatments:
- More intensive gum decay leads to periodontal disease and other gum disease treatments like grafting.
- Tooth and gum decay lead to root canals or tooth extraction.
- It can lead to expensive cosmetic procedures to correct discoloration, serious decay, and issues from tooth replacement or bridging gaps.
What is Getting Traditional Metal Braces Like as an Adult?
The procedure is not any different from younger patients. The only major disadvantage is that your teeth and gums may have become more set in their crookedness, potentially lengthening out the treatment time. However, if you have relatively healthy jaws, gums, and teeth, adult braces can get you a stronger, straighter, and crisper smile. Even older patients well into their 60’s can be good candidates for correction if their jaws, gums, and teeth are strong.
Braces can correct any of the following in your teeth and smile:
- Misalignment
- Gaps
- Overcrowding
- Protruding teeth
- Underbites and overbites
- Crossbites
While there are many orthodontic treatment options for adults and children, metal braces remain the most common way to straighten teeth. You might have an interest in invisible aligners, but your correction might be more intensive and be best served by traditional braces. Or you might not mind the noticeability of braces as an adult and prefer a traditional method. Either way, there are several benefits of traditional metal braces.
- Metal braces remain the most cost-effective way to correct teeth and are often the most effective way as a complete system for straightening your smile.
- In some cases, metal braces can be faster than invisible aligners and other correction techniques.
- Metal braces are extremely durable and can handle the wear and tear of eating and brushing, even for treatments that require multiple years to fully correct.
Talk to us about Braces For Adults in Bluffton and Beaufort, SC
Even after reading about the different kinds of orthodontic options as an adult, you likely still have questions about what treatment is best for you. It really depends on your preferences and priorities and the state of your mouth. Please schedule an appointment with us at Miler Orthodontics, and we can both perform an examination and provide a consultation. We can answer your questions and give you the additional information you need to decide if right now is the right time for you to get adult braces.