Are You Ever Too Old For Braces? —
When you think about braces, you generally think about kids
having to wear them. But nowadays, you
often see adults sporting those little metal brackets on their teeth too! According to the American Association of
Orthodontics (AAO), adults make up 25% of orthodontic patients across the
country.
While many insurance companies do not cover adult
orthodontia, there is a growing need for it and it’s not just the desire for a
nicer appearance when you smile. Many
dentists and periodontists (gum specialists) refer their patients to
orthodontists to have their teeth straightened prior to having crown/bridgework
done or necessary gum or bone surgery. This will in turn help with the
longevity of the treatment being done.
Hopefully due to more and more of these issues occurring, insurance
companies will start allowing adult orthodontia coverage. Dental needs have changed and more patients
are taking better care of their teeth and being able to keep their natural
teeth their whole lives. Dental
insurance companies have not kept pace with these changes and unfortunately
have not changed their policies as of yet to observe the growing needs of
adults.
The New York Times interviewed orthodontists across the country
and found that adult patients range in age from their 20’s to their 70’s with
slightly more being women. About half of
those patients just wanted a better smile, while the other half were referrals
from dentists and periodontists, or those that wanted to be retreated due to a
shift in their teeth, or just had never sought treatment as a child and could
now afford it.
According to WebMD, dental professionals say that there are
health reasons also involved in which a corrected bite can alleviate. Misaligned teeth tend to hold on to food
particles, which increase plaque build up.
An increase of plaque build up can lead to gum disease and periodontal
disease. Also, those with misaligned
teeth tend to have a cross bite and when your teeth don’t come together
correctly, food doesn’t get chewed properly which leads to swallowing bigger
pieces of food and that can cause gastrointestinal problems.
There are several different options for you if you are
interested in orthodontic treatment and there are a couple of options if you
are concerned about the appearance of braces.
Generally, if your teeth are fairly crooked or rotated or if
you have a major bite concern, orthodontists usually prefer to use metal
brackets. They tend to get the job done
quicker just because they are stronger and can treat pretty much any type of
orthodontic problem.
From an esthetics standpoint, there are brackets that are
made of ceramic and are tooth colored.
The bummer about these particular brackets is that the bonding material,
which holds the bracket onto your tooth, can stain after time and also the
little rubber bands that go around the bracket can stain and tend to pop off
easily (speaking from experience). The
brackets themselves are tooth colored, but there will still be a metal wire
running through them so at a glance, it will look like you are wearing a
retainer (Fun Fact: This is the option
Tom Cruise chose when he had braces at the age of 40).
The other option is something called Invisalign®. This is a great option if you don’t have a
ton of rotation to your teeth and anything major that needs to be
corrected. Basically, Invisalign® works
by using clear plastic trays that are made from impressions taken of your
teeth. These trays are held in place by
a couple of dots of resin material placed on your teeth and notches made into
the trays to grab onto that material.
These trays are removable so you can take them in and out to eat or to
brush. Usually, you need to go in to see
your orthodontist anywhere every 2 weeks to once a month to get new trays as
your teeth are shifting into alignment.
It’s a pretty amazing treatment, especially if you are concerned with
the way braces look. Most people won’t
even realize that you are wearing anything.
Of course, this will probably be the most expensive route, but that is
what one has to pay for looking good while getting straight teeth!
After your orthodontic treatment is completed, you will need
to wear a retainer. Generally,
orthodontists would like you to wear these retainers for up to 6 months, all
day and all night, only to remove them when you eat or brush your teeth. They then would like you to wear them at
night only. Orthodontists are finding
that retention is the key to keeping your straight smile, so continuing to wear
the retainers at night is a great way to keep your investment in tip-top shape!
If you have any questions or concerns about braces and your
options, please talk to any of the doctors or hygienists at Szmanda Dental
Center and we will be glad to give you a general rundown of options. We have several great local orthodontists
that we work with and trust that we will be happy to refer you to.
Information
compiled from the American Association of Orthodontics, The New York Times,
WebMD and Staff at Szmanda Dental Center
©
Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012
