It’s Not Too Late for Smile Improvements

woman smiling

If you’re an adult who thinks your chance at achieving a beautiful smile has passed you by because you didn’t have braces as a child, fear not — there are options for you.

And for those of you who had braces during childhood but your teeth have relapsed because you quit wearing your retainer, there’s help for that, too.

We talk a great deal in our practice about the importance of having an orthodontic evaluation by age 7, as well as the technology available to guide a child’s dentofacial growth to correct a variety of malocclusions. Although some malocclusions are best addressed in a growing child, it is important for adults to know that it is never too late to achieve smile improvements.

Teeth can be moved at any age.

Reasons to Consider Treatment as an Adult

  • Everyone deserves to have healthy self-esteem. Do you cover your mouth when you laugh or refuse to show your teeth when smiling because you don’t like the way they look? Life is too short for that. Orthodontic treatment truly gives you something to smile about.
  • Aesthetic treatment options abound. Sometimes adults dismiss orthodontic treatment because they don’t like the idea of wearing those metal braces they remember from childhood. Technological advancements have resulted in the introduction of numerous aesthetic treatment options such as clear or tooth-colored brackets and lingual braces that are affixed to the back of the teeth. These options make your treatment less obvious to others.
  • When discussing aesthetic options, you can’t forget about Invisalign, the system of clear plastic aligners that gently guides your teeth into proper position. This treatment has become so popular that adults ask for it by name.
  • Orthodontic treatment typically is the most conservative way to improve your smile.

Adults who went through treatment as children and their teeth have relapsed because they lost or broke their retainers or otherwise quit wearing them often find that re-treatment isn’t as involved the second time around. Sometimes we can whip teeth back into proper alignment with a short series of Invisalign.

If you are considering orthodontic treatment or retreatment to correct relapse, you are in good company. A survey conducted by the American Association of Orthodontists shows that more adults are overcoming their apprehensions and choosing orthodontic treatment. Between 2010 and 2012, the number of adults who opted for treatment increased 14 percent.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment if you want to learn how you can achieve the beautiful smile you’ve always dreamed of. We look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.