Braces for Adults

Ever seen a teenage girl who flashes that million dollar smile at you, which you politely return, but with your lips tightly sealed? Are you still longing for those perfectly aligned pearly whites, while being too embarrassed to walk around as a thirty year old 'metal mouth'? Well, brace yourself for some good news, for braces for adults are a rage nowadays!

Misaligned teeth can often lead to more problems than just embarrassing smiles - they can lead to receding gums, difficulty in maintaining basic dental care and increased risk of cavities and caries among a variety of other troubles. Thus, in cases of malocclusion (which is the scientific word for misaligned teeth), adult or not, straightening your teeth using orthodontic braces may be the right thing to do. And now, with ever increasing dental awareness, adults have a plethora of options before them when it comes to dental braces which could straighten their teeth (and possibly their career and self-confidence!) Here are a few of the golden options:

Dental Braces for Adults

Metal braces: These are the regular braces which are given to most patients. They are clearly visible in the oral cavity and are traditionally assumed to be the most affordable braces for adults. Most adults would not prefer this treatment option, but some who are working from home could avail it.

Braces with colored brackets: Interested in showing your wild side? Are you an unabashedly flamboyant fashionista who believes in wearing matching accessories head to toe? Are you ready then to incorporate these brackets and wires in your lifestyle? Well then, instead of getting the usual off putting and dull gray-green ligating modules on your brackets, request your orthodontist to put in colorful ligature bands - like red, orange, or even fluorescent green! It'll give you a reason to smile even with braces on. You can also get the bands changed with successive sittings to ensure maximum variety of colors in your mouth (or at least those that will match with your wardrobe collection!)

Ceramic bracket braces: This a good and reasonably affordable option for adults looking for braces. Here, the brackets used are made of composite materials and hence, being tooth-colored, blend in with the teeth, making them less noticeable than traditional metal braces. However, being made of a sensitive material like composite, patients availing this option need to be extra careful so as to avoid staining the brackets due to excessive smoking, or intake of tea, coffee and cold drinks. On the whole, these braces have a camouflage effect, thus, being a popular option for adults looking for affordable and aesthetic treatment options.

Lingual braces: For concerned individuals who have work profiles that require them to interact continuously with people, like air hostesses, receptionists, television anchors, etc. visible braces might be an option that could put their job in jeopardy. Hence, a wonderful breakthrough in orthodontics has been the introduction of lingual braces. Here, the regular metal braces are placed on the lingual (inner) surfaces of teeth, rendering them invisible to the naked eye. Most cases qualify for this kind of treatment, unless it is a case of severe cross bite or deep bite. However, extra care needs to be taken in case of lingual braces, as maintaining very good oral hygiene becomes of paramount importance, lest one ends up with multiple cavities. With diligent and dedicated efforts, care of dental braces can be made quite easy. Although lingual braces may be relatively high-priced (depending on various factors), they manage to eliminate the biggest hitch involved with braces for adults - the mortifyingly unsightly 'metal mouth' look, thus, making these the best braces for adults.

Invisalign braces: This is yet another aesthetically pleasing option for braces for adults. In invisalign braces, straightening of teeth is done using plastic clear removable aligners, which are to be worn for certain fixed periods of time (normally two to three weeks) before they are replaced by slightly tighter sets of aligners. They can be removed while eating and cleaning teeth. However, this advantage of being a conveniently removable treatment option is often abused. Invisalign braces are to be preferably worn for longer time spans to ensure effectiveness of the treatment. But it is indeed one of the best options for adults looking to have their teeth aligned in a quick and highly aesthetic manner.

So now, instead of fighting tooth and nail with your conscience about whether to get braces as adults or not, you can easily and confidently stride into your work place with braces on, and look forward to an enviously aligned set of pearly whites in a matter of months!