Adult Treatment
It's never too late.
In fact, over a quarter of our patients are adults! But when you think about it, it's not hard to see why. A beautiful, straight smile comes with a host of functional, aesthetic, and even psychological benefits, and modern treatments are more comfortable and discreet than ever before. Truly, there's never been a better time for orthodontic treatment!
While some people may think they're "too old" for orthodontic treatment, the truth is that we can move healthy teeth at any age - so it's never too late for a healthy smile. That said, adult treatment differs from adolescent treatment in two ways: first, the jaws have finished developing in adults, so we can't change them in the same way we can for children. Second, periodontal (gum) disease is far more prevalent in adults than in children. Healthy gums are a prerequisite to moving healthy teeth, so this just means that before performing any form of orthodontic treatment, we'll need to take care to ensure any signs of gum disease are treated.
Types of Orthodontic Appliances
- All orthodontic treatments do more or less the same thing: they apply gentle, finely calibrated forces to the teeth over a long period of time. As this force continuous, the teeth slowly move themselves through the ligaments, tissues, and bones of the mouth until they assume new positions in the smile. But while the process is essentially the same, the ways of accomplishing it differ.
- Lingual Braces: Lingual braces use the same concept of traditional braces, but instead of being bonded to the front of teeth, lingual braces have brackets bonded to the back side (tongue side) of your teeth. This means they're truly invisible from the outside, but they take more getting used to and are somewhat more expensive than traditional braces.
Post Treatment Care
When we finally take your braces off, we know you’ll be relieved - but you're not quite out of the woods yet! Now comes the retention phase, and it's critical to the health and longevity of your new smile. Without a retainer, your teeth will just drift back to their old positions, leaving you with the same smile you started with. To prevent this, we'll fit you with a retainer after taking your braces off. Once you receive it, we'll give you detailed instructions for wearing and caring for it. With care and conscientious use, your retainer will make your new smile last for years to come.