Adult Braces
Recently, we’ve seen celebrities talk about getting braces as adults (Hello Oprah!) and adults with braces gracing the covers of magazines like Forbes and Marie Claire. While we often picture orthodontics as something for teenagers, there’s no reason you shouldn’t treat yourself to a great-looking, healthy smile as an adult.
How Do Adult Braces Work?
Braces are an effective option for patients of all ages. When you have braces as an adolescent, the goal of treatment is to gently move the teeth into a correct bite position while the bones and muscles of the face are growing and maturing.
The good news for adults with braces is that since your bones are already mature, orthodontic treatment times can be much shorter than it is for teens. There are also accelerated orthodontic measures to help reduce your treatment time even more.
Conventional braces are made of brackets individually bonded to teeth and a metal archwire that connects all the brackets. The archwire is adjusted by the orthodontist to exert a gentle, consistent force on the teeth and guide them into a proper position.
To fix specific conditions, your orthodontist can use additional appliances like elastics or retro-pull headgear to give your treatment an extra boost.
Metal braces are ideal for treating pretty much any misalignment you might have, including:
| Braces Are Great for Treating Malocclusions | |||
| Crossbite | Open Bite | Underbite | |
| Overbite | Gap Teeth | Crooked Teeth | |
No matter your age, braces are a great option to correct both simple and complex misalignments.
What Types of Braces Are There for Adults?
The orthodontics you knew as a child have improved dramatically over the years. Adult orthodontic patients today can choose from a few different types of braces. Although all of these options use the same method of brackets and an archwire to move teeth, they differ when it comes to the materials used and bracket placement.
| Types of Braces for Adults | |||
| Type | How it Works | ||
| Conventional Metal Braces |
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| Ceramic Braces |
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| InBrace |
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| Light Force Braces |
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What Do I Need To Know as an Adult With Braces?
Aside from the basic first-week tips and tricks to adjusting to life with braces, the main thing you need to know is that by getting braces as an adult, you are taking steps to live a better and healthier life.
| How Can Braces Improve My Life? | |||
| Comfort and Function | Having teeth out of position can cause muscle pain and tooth trauma. Correcting your bite evens out the pressure, relieving pain and preventing damage to your teeth. | ||
| Emotional Wellbeing | Your smile says a lot about you as a person. If you don’t like the way it looks, you might be self-conscious and not smile as often as you want. Since smiling is known to increase happiness in both yourself and those around you, give yourself an aesthetic boost and get back to loving life out loud. | ||
| Long-term health | Teeth that are crowded and out of position are harder to keep clean. Oral bacteria can lead to dental decay and bone loss as well as worsen other health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. By correcting your bite, you make it easier to brush and floss, which improves your overall health – and gives you a bright smile! | ||
Fortunately, braces and retainers are able to correct your dental malocclusions quickly and easily, giving you a healthier mouth and a flawless smile.
Ready for a Perfect Smile? Adult Braces Can Make That Happen
At Beverly Hills Orthodontics, we offer adult braces from each of our four locations, in Beverly Hills/Century City, Toluca Lake, Alhambra, or Downtown Los Angeles. Perfect for patients of any age, braces can correct most alignment problems ranging from slight crowding to significant bite issues.
Ready to learn more about adult braces? Give us a call or text us at 310-785-0770 or visit our contact page to schedule an appointment.
