Countryside Dental
518-392-5231
countrysidedental@hotmail.com
Dental Conditions
Placing Braces on Adults
Teeth can be straightened at any age. In fact, one out of four orthodontic patients in the United States today is an adult.
Until the 1980s, a steel band went around each individual tooth like a ring. The wire that pulled the teeth into line was attached to a little bracket on the front of the steel bands. This looked like a mouth full of metal!
Fortunately, today these bands have been replaced with brackets that are bonded with an adhesive right to the front of the teeth. They're much more comfortable, smaller than an unpopped popcorn kernel, and much less noticeable than the bands. Clear sapphire brackets are also available, but they're usually more expensive and tougher to keep clean.
A stainless steel wire still connects the brackets; different sizes of wire provide the pressure to move the teeth. Elastics that come in many different colors hold the wire in place. Special elastic bands may be added to speed up tooth movement. Other wires and attachments are used in more difficult cases.
It's pretty amazing how far teeth can move through bone. Your bone responds to the tension created by these brackets and wires by making special cells on each side of the tooth. These cells remove bone on one side of the tooth and make bone on the opposite side. That's what allows the tooth to move.
It's harder to clean your teeth once braces are on, so regular cleaning appointments will be more important than ever. Permanent white stains may form on teeth if plaque isn't removed regularly.
After treatment, retainers are used to hold the teeth in their new alignment. Some retainers are designed to be removable, while others are cemented in place.
It's nice to know that with orthodontic treatment you're never too old to improve your smile and the health of your mouth.