Is it ever "too late" for braces to be effective?

"I'm too old for braces!" I hear this often when I mention braces to a patient, shall I say, somewhat beyond puberty. Okay, maybe those patient decades beyond puberty.

The reality is there really isn't any reason that a person of some wiser years can't or shouldn't have braces. Sure if there is significant periodontal or gum disease then they may not be a candidate. But an otherwise healthy set of teeth can be moved by braces or other techniques at any age.

At Pleasant Dental we only treat adult patients with what is termed short-term orthodontics. These braces are designed to correct mostly cosmetic issues, including issues such as crowding of teeth, spaces between teeth, or rotations of teeth.

Truthfully, while our goals are cosmetic for adult patients, we are also providing true positive healthy changes for their teeth too. Crowded or badly spaced teeth are difficult to clean and maintain. Often these teeth are subject to gum disease and even more cavities due to the difficulty of cleaning them.

Aside from the desire to help adults with their smiles by using short term orthodontics, we appreciate the fact that adults also are generally very good about following directions, which helps treatment go so much quicker.

If any of you are parents and have had a child in braces, you know that they often don't do what they are supposed to do to make treatment progress properly. I found this very frustrating and there have actually been times when treatment was stopped due to a patient not complying with our instructions. This virtually never happens with adults.

If you have been thinking and thinking about taking steps to create a more healthy and beautiful smile, take the first step and call us to set up a free consultation. Pleasant Dental: (708) 849-4400.



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