Whenever someone talks about braces, the first thing that comes everyone’s mind is that nervous teenager with acne who has braces. It is synonymous with young children who are still developing their teeth that needs to be corrected. But is it true that only young people need braces? Or do old people sometimes need braces as well?
Well, it’s true, old people do sometimes need braces to correct their teeth. In fact, people of all ages can use braces. In fact, my sister who is almost 40 just got braces because her teeth were going all crazy. She wanted to make sure that things don’t get too bad.
The only requirement for having braces is that you should have permanent teeth and have a healthy jaw bone. If you have those two, you can use braces at any point in your life without any issues.
Now that we know that anyone can use braces at any age, the question is – why should you get orthodontic braces in the first place? What are the benefits of getting them?
Let’s find out.
- They can help straighten your teeth
As the human body gets older, it experiences loss of collagen. Chalk that up to the side effects of aging.
This loss of collagen then causes the face to become more hollow and it also affects the teeth. Depending on the individual, this hollowness might cause the teeth to become loose and in some cases, crooked.
Getting orthodontic braces is the best way to get those teeth straightened out and have them return to their original positions. The only caveat here is the requirements I mentioned above.
You MUST have strong teeth and jaw bone to be able to fix the crooked teeth. Or you’ll have to first deal with the problems you’re facing first before getting braces.
- They can help with issues with your bite
The idea of a good bite is that whenever you open and close your mouth (like the biting motion when you’re chewing), there should be significant gaps along the line where the 2 rows of teeth meet. If there are any gaps, then you will have issues biting things and chewing food.
And if this is not fixed, then you will experience things like headache and having trouble when talking with people or chewing food.
And to be honest, I think everyone deserves a proper bite and not have issues talking to other people.
Those are the 2 most important things that braces can fix and I think those are the majority of the dental problems most people would face later in their life.
So, now that you know the problems, you want to know if there’s an option where you can avoid getting those metal braces? You don’t want to look like an awkward teenager again when you’re 40.
You’re in luck!
There are several options you can choose from.
Braces Options For Adults
- Clear braces
This is the perfect option if you want something that is less visible when you smile. Or it should be almost invisible unless someone is specifically looking at your teeth and trying to find out whether you have braces or not.
In that case, nothing can help you hide it. So it’s best if you don’t let your long distance relatives know about the braces. Because come Thanksgiving or Christmas, and that will the topic of discussion ?
- Invisalign
This is one of the most popular options out there. And these are perfect for an adult who doesn’t want to get meta braces.
Invisalign’s are made out of durable plastic and are custom-designed based on the patient’s requirements. The good thing about Invisalign is that you can remove the entire braces to wash them (and they are super easy to wash).
But the idea of these “invisible” braces is that you are not supposed to remove them for longer periods of time. But you should also practice proper hygiene and remove them and wash them at proper intervals to avoid staining your teeth. If you want even more options, click here to check them out.
Are There Any Side Effects of Wearing Braces?
Absolutely. Afterall, these braces are physically pushing your teeth in the right direction so you can have a proper bite or alignment of teeth.
Here are some of the side effects that you will face:
Tooth decay – If you aren’t following proper hygiene when wearing braces, the first thing you’ll notice is that your teeth are starting to decay. That’s why dentists recommend that patients who wear braces should floss at least once a day and brush twice a day.
Discomfort – If there’s something pulling/pushing your teeth somewhere 24/7 you are bond to feel some discomfort. You might also feel headaches and mouth pain which is completely normal. And if this pain increases, you can always take some simple medications to help with the pain.
As you can see, getting braces is nothing scary even if you’re old. And there are options you can choose from to avoid having people stare at your mouth when you’re smiling or talking. You can choose clear braces or Invisalign to go incognito and no one will notice unless you specifically tell them that you’ve just got braces.
In conclusion, no one is too old to have good teeth and smile. And if you have to get braces to get that, there’s no problem. Everybody deserves to have a perfect smile and age shouldn’t decide whether you are able to have that or not.