Everything You Need to Know About Your New Set of Adult Braces
This sure is an exciting time! You’ve finally decided to start exploring your options for orthodontic treatment and your journey towards a beautiful and healthy smile. Don’t let any concerns about age or how long this treatment can take keep you from starting now. Adult braces are highly effective; teenagers also make ideal candidates. Likewise, the sheer number of options at your disposal makes this specialized care a fantastic choice for many patients.
Let’s talk about your available options, what you can expect from this treatment, how your age factors into the plans prepared for your care, and much more.
Here at Westwalk Orthodontic Group, we want to make sure you have as much accurate information as possible to make well-informed decisions about your care.
Braces and More for Your Orthodontic Treatment
Orthodontia is highly dependent on orthodontic appliances to achieve its goals. Keep in mind that we’re trying to offer patients non-surgical treatment options, and as such, we rely on a set of tools that can gradually move your dental structures until they achieve an ideal relationship.
This explanation may all sound like a lot, but it actually stems from a very simple principle.
We use orthodontic appliances to move your teeth into the right position safely.
We also want to emphasize that final point. Safely.
Orthodontists dedicate several years of study and practice to learning how to move your teeth and jaws without permanently damaging them. Too much force and we might affect the nerves and destabilize each piece; too little force and we won’t make any progress.
Once we determine which options are good for you, we recommend using them for some time. Here are some of the most popular choices.
Traditional Metal Braces in Westport
Ah yes. The cornerstone of orthodontic care.
We have been relying on this piece of technology to realign teeth and jaws successfully for decades. This alternative relies on the durability of stainless steel to manufacture metal brackets and wires that perform simultaneous movements to push and pull your teeth into the proper alignment.
They are the most durable option among the various design iterations, but they’re also the most visible. Likewise, because they’re so common and have been around for quite some time, they are the most affordable option.
They get the job done.
If you are looking for a less visible option that doesn’t include Invisalign removable clear aligners, there is also a twist on the traditional, lingual braces.
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces have the same components as conventional braces, but they’re fixed to the back of your teeth because they’re behind your teeth, they’re nearly invisible. Overall lingual braces help fix the same dental problems and alignment issues as traditional metal braces.
However, lingual braces aren’t right for everyone. Patients with very deep overbites, for example, might run into some trouble with brackets popping off more frequently than patients with other conditions.
Cost of Lingual Braces
During your consultation, your orthodontist will explain your treatment plan and cost in detail. But when it comes to lingual braces, it’s important to keep in mind that costs may be higher because the process of applying lingual braces is more delicate and more time-consuming than conventional braces.
According to the American Association of Orthodontists, reports indicate that the cost is between $5,000 and $7,000.
Cost considerations aside, there is one major disadvantage of undergoing orthodontic treatment with lingual braces. This con may cause self-consciousness issues in some patients.
Sometimes Lingual Braces cause patients to have or develop lisps. While speaking, your tongue touches the back of your teeth to make certain sounds. Since the brackets of these braces are on the backsides of your teeth, your speech will not be the same when you first get lingual braces and throughout the treatment.
Eventually, though, you will get accustomed to having lingual braces, and your speech should return to normal within a couple of months. Or, if preferred, you can turn to a speech therapist to help with certain techniques that help with speech issues.
Does Age Matter for Your Orthodontic Treatment?
Don’t worry about it. There’s no age limit for your orthodontic treatment. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends parents take their children to an orthodontist around age 7 to help curb any dental development and alignment concerns; however, there are no such guidelines about an age limit to start treatment.
The important thing is to ensure that the patient is not so young that the treatment is for naught.
Two-phase treatment helps parents stay aware of their children’s dental development and allows dental alignment specialists to overview and correct arising orthodontic complications.
Later on, teenagers are ideal candidates for orthodontic treatment. Adults are still eligible candidates for this type of specialized care. Still, we will need to consider additional aspects of the patient’s medical history before recommending one treatment over another.
Are Adult Braces for You?
As we mentioned, adults can also benefit from orthodontic treatment. If you’re looking for the best adult braces Norwalk can offer, we might be able to help you.
An orthodontist will want to make sure your teeth can resist the forces that make orthodontic treatment possible. This is not to say you will be subject to extreme forces that will leave your mouth sore for months at a time; instead, we warn patients that their periodontal health must be ideal if they want to engage in orthodontic care.
As your teeth move, your jaw bone suffers a transformation, and you then have to spend some time waiting for the bone to accept the tooth’s new position. That reason is why we also recommend patients use a retainer after wrapping up with adult braces treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that the risk of periodontal disease increases with age, as 70.1% of adults over 65 suffer from some type of periodontal disease.
Still, you can always consult with an orthodontist about starting your treatment. We will carefully monitor your dental health throughout your care; you could even remain under evaluation by a multi-specialty team of orthodontists and periodontists to ensure your treatment is as efficient and safe as possible.
Orthodontic treatment for adults will also mean you have to be even more careful about your oral hygiene while wearing your braces. Depending on your choice of orthodontic appliance, there might be an increased risk of having leftover food particles stuck around your adult braces or between teeth.
Please remember to brush your teeth carefully and after every meal. Rinse with water before you start brushing to help dislodge food particles and make the entire process easier.
Orthodontic Treatment for Teenagers
With changes in appearance to starting and surviving high school, the teenage years are tough without throwing crooked teeth into the mix. Traditionally, young adults have always been more hesitant to pursue orthodontic treatment due to the cosmetic implications.
Traditional braces can really cramp their style for a few years. However, more and more teenagers have been willing to receive orthodontic treatment. So, why the sudden change?
At Westwalk Orthodontics, we understand that our teenage patients are looking for acceptance. That is why our practice offers many types of braces to choose from. Afterall, we want all of our patients, young or old, to feel as comfortable as possible throughout their treatment with us.
We have clear aligner therapy for teens looking to straighten their teeth and feel more comfortable in their skin. Our clear aligners consist of a series of nearly invisible and removable trays that gradually guide your teens’ teeth to their ideal location. They are custom-designed for each patient.
Through a series of customized aligners, your teen’s teeth will gradually move to their ideal locations, allowing them to achieve their desired results without drawing extra attention to themselves during their already difficult years. Learn more about our clear aligner therapy for teens.
Where to Get Started With Orthodontic Treatment
We are proud to offer the best orthodontic treatment Norwalk residents can find. The fantastic people of Norwalk can trust our team to help them achieve their dreamed smiles.
Make sure you set your next appointment and come ready with all the questions you have about the process; we’ll love answering all of them.
Our board-certified orthodontists will help you determine which option is right for you, taking into consideration your dental health and choice of appliance.
Make sure you take a look at our website to check out the various options we have for your treatment.