Adult Orthodontics: Am I too old to fix my smile?
Are you too old to fix your smile? Chances are the answer is no! In fact, one in five new orthodontic patients in the United States is an adult.
Maybe you’ve always been self-conscious about your smile, but didn’t have the opportunity to have orthodontic work done when you were a child. Maybe you had an accident that affected your smile, or have been affected by some sort of dental disease. Or maybe your teeth started to crowd after you reached adulthood—it’s more common than you might think.
Adult orthodontics
The good news is the physics of moving teeth is the same for a 30-year-old (or even a 70-year-old!) as it is for a child or teenager—you haven’t missed some window of opportunity.
And if you want a new smile but don’t want to show up to the office in traditional braces, Appel Orthodontics offers a number of less-noticeable options especially for adult orthodontics patients. SimpliClear braces use white brackets and a clear wire, making it difficult for people around you to tell you’re wearing braces at all. And the Invisalign system uses a series of clear aligners that fit over your teeth, with no brackets or wires at all. No one will even be able to tell you’re wearing them!
Benefits of a great smile
Getting your teeth and jaws into proper alignment can have multiple benefits beyond just aesthetics. It can resolve issues with jaw pain or malfunction (including TMJ). It can make it easier to keep your teeth and gums clean, preventing gum disease or tooth decay.
And for some adult orthodontics patients, a new smile can be a new lease on life, as they now face the world with a confidence they didn’t have before.
Check out the AAO YouTube channel for more stories of how adult orthodontics is changing lives!