Did you know that one out of five Americans who get braces is over the age of 21? Braces aren’t just for kids anymore. If you want to achieve straighter teeth, a beautiful smile, and optimized health, you don’t need to worry that you have passed the age for braces. At Central Texas Orthodontics in Austin, Texas, we encourage braces for adults. After all, the health of your teeth is important at any age.
Why Are Braces for Adults Becoming More Popular?
In the 1990s, it was uncommon for adults to get brace. A lot has changed since then. For one thing, people of all ages are taking better care of their teeth. As a society, we are more aware now of the importance of dental hygiene.
Secondly, there are many options for treatment now. Whether you want to prioritize your comfort during treatment, aesthetic considerations, or have severe orthodontic issues, you can find a solution that is perfect for you.
How Can Braces Have a Positive Impact on the Lives of Adults?
They Can Facilitate Better Hygiene
Straighter teeth are healthier and easier to clean. Brace address issues of overcrowding and overlap, providing you with better access to the entire surface area of your teeth when you brush and floss. This helps prevent cavities and reduces your susceptibility to gum disease. When you are better able to clean your teeth, you will enjoy greater hygiene and better breath.
They Can Improve the Mechanical Function of Your Teeth
If you have some problems chewing because of misaligned teeth, the brace can help. They can also improve speech impediments. Sometimes, protruding teeth can cause injuries or irritate the inside of your mouth. Braces will alleviate these issues. They can even help with headaches, which are another issue that can result from poor tooth alignment.
They Can Boost Confidence
Most adults want to look their best when going about their professional lives. When you have a beautifully straight smile, you will love the confidence that comes from knowing you look great. Many adults have careers that require public presentations, high-profile meetings, client-facing interactions, and other situations that call for a tailored appearance. Straight teeth can be part of the professional way in which you present yourself.
They Can Be a Positive Component of Your Self-Care
In your adult life, you have many opportunities to care for others, including your children, your older relatives, your friends, and your significant other. You deserve some care, too. Brace are a great way to safeguard the future of your healthy smile, maintain your dental health, and improve your appearance. If you have been waiting all your life for beautifully straight teeth, your adult years are the perfect time to finally get them.
What Issues Can Braces Address?
Braces are an incredibly effective, time-tested way to reposition your teeth. They are used to correct the following problems:
- Crowded teeth
- Crossbites
- Too much space between certain teeth
- Overbites
- Underbites
- Protruding teeth
- Crooked teeth
How Do Braces Work?
The technology behind braces goes back to developments in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since then, the system has developed greatly, becoming incredibly precise and reliable. Brace are a versatile method that is used to direct teeth in a wide range of different ways. They can provide various levels of care ranging from minor adjustments to the correction of severe misalignment.
Brackets and Wires
The system used by traditional braces is made up of the following components:
- Metal brackets adhered to your teeth with special dental glue
- An archwire attached to your back molars
- Rubber bands that connect the archwire to the brackets
Some newer kinds of braces do not require rubber bands. We’ll explain more about these variations later.
Gentle Pressure
When you wear brace, the archwire puts pressure on your teeth via the brackets. Exerting pressure on one side of any given tooth causes the root of that tooth to press against the alveolar bone next to it. In response, part of the bone dissolves, and the tooth can slide into the space. The bone will then regrow next to its original position, preventing the tooth from returning to its original position.
What Kinds of Braces Are Available to Adults?
When you choose to get braces as an adult, you can select the approach which best suits your orthodontic needs and your lifestyle. Here are some of the options that are available to you:
- Traditional braces
- Self-ligating braces
- Clear (ceramic) braces
- Invisalign
Everything You Need to Know About Traditional Braces
What Are They?
Traditional braces are the most popular version of brace. They use the classic system of rubber bands, an archwire, and brackets. Sometimes, the rubber bands come in different colors.
What Are Their Advantages?
Traditional braces have several advantages over other forms of treatment. In addition to being very effective, they are the least expensive method, and they take a relatively short amount of time to straighten your teeth.
Who Can Benefit From Them?
Traditional braces are suitable for patients of all ages, with all kinds of needs. They can be fitted to adults, teenagers, and younger people. They are considered one of the most effective means of straightening teeth and are used to address difficult situations that require complex adjustments. If other equipment is required to treat a patient, such as a pallet expander, it is usually used in combination with traditional braces.
Traditional braces are a good option for people who want to address their orthodontic issues while maintaining a budget. People who prioritize finishing their treatment quickly can also benefit from this option. The rubber bands come in a variety of colors, making this option especially appealing to teenagers. However, adults who want to maintain a more subtle look can choose clear rubber bands.
Everything You Need to Know About Self-Ligating Braces
What Are They?
Self-ligating braces are an exciting development in the world of orthodontic care. They use special clips that fit the archwire to the brackets, rather than rubber bands. With this system, your teeth are free to move more freely in response to the treatment. This means less friction in your mouth and a fast timeline for your treatment.
What Are Their Advantages?
These braces are smaller than traditional braces and therefore have less of an impact on your appearance. They are easier to clean because they don’t involve any rubber bands. This means there is less material in your mouth to collect plaque. Some people also find them more comfortable to wear because the metal parts are smaller.
Who Can Benefit From Them?
Self ligating braces are a great option for people who prefer smaller components that don’t make a strong visual statement. They are helpful for people who are sensitive to the feeling of having braces in their mouths and who want their treatment time to go by quickly.
Everything You Need to Know About Clear (Ceramic) Braces
What Are They?
Clear braces (also sometimes called ceramic braces) are braces that utilize clear brackets. Like traditional and self-ligating braces, they have an archwire.
What Are Their Advantages?
Clear braces are even less noticeable than self-ligating braces. They are designed to blend in with the color of your teeth.
Who Can Benefit From Them?
Clear braces are a good option for people who are very mindful of their appearance. They are good for individuals who are often in the public eye, teenagers who are self-conscious about wearing braces, and adults who want to avoid the typical look of braces.
Clear braces are a little bit more fragile than a traditional brace, so they are best for adults who have the maturity to care for them properly. Sometimes, patients choose to have clear braces applied only to their top teeth, which are more noticeable than bottom teeth.
Everything You Need to Know About Invisalign
What Is It?
Invisalign is a system of clear aligners that are specially designed to fit your teeth at different stages of your treatment, thereby gradually straightening them. When you begin treatment with Invisalign, your orthodontist will take a scan of your mouth and use special software to create aligners that you can wear over your teeth.
The aligners will exert pressure in strategic places, gently encouraging your teeth to shift into the planned position. You will change your aligners at home every one to two weeks until your treatment is finished.
What Are Its Advantages?
The Invisalign system has some unique advantages because it is very different from other approaches. For one thing, the aligners are completely clear, meaning they are virtually invisible when you wear them. You can remove them for eating and cleaning, making them very hygienic. You don’t need to limit the kinds of foods you eat when you choose Invisalign, and you have access to all the surface area in your mouth when you brush.
Who Can Benefit From It?
Invisalign is a highly effective method to help people with mild-to-moderate orthodontic issues. Severe misalignment might be out of its ballpark, although the Invisalign research team has recently come up with special attachments that increase the aligners’ ability to exert pressure on teeth that require complex adjustments.
This system is a perfect solution for people who don’t want to change their appearance at all during treatment. Sometimes, athletes choose Invisalign over other methods because it is a good way to avoid metal components that can pop out of place during rigorous activities. While it is not usually the best option for children, we highly recommend it to teenagers and adults.
What Is the Best Option for Adults?
The answer depends on the adult. Every adult who is considering a brace has different alignment issues to address and different preferences when it comes to treatment. We can help you determine which solution is best for you when you come in for a consultation. We can examine the current condition of your teeth, give you more information about the options, and work with you to understand what you prioritize when it comes to your dental health.
So, Can Adults Get Braces?
Braces for adults are one of the best means of achieving healthier teeth and a beautiful smile. For adults, getting braces can mean protection against gum disease, reduced cavities, easier brushing, improved self-esteem, and more. Adults have even more options than children when it comes to choosing a method. The most effective types of braces for adults are traditional braces, self ligating braces, clear braces, and Invisalign.
Contact Central Texas Orthodontics in Austin, Texas for more information on braces for adults. We are happy to tell you anything you would like to know about your options and schedule a consultation for you so you can get started today.
