Adults and orthodontic treatment, why do so many think NOW
is the perfect time to begin? Many orthodontist’s will agree that an increasing
number of patients they see on a daily basis are adults. One of the main reasons adults seek
orthodontic care is dissatisfaction with their dental and/or facial
appearance. Another common reason is the
need for isolated dental movements so other procedures can be executed within an
interdisciplinary treatment plan. This accompanying
the fact that cosmetic procedures are becoming increasingly popular in all
areas of aesthetics.
Most adults remember the horror stories of braces from
when they were growing up. We often joke at Aleman, Sternstein & McDaniel
that parents will send the kids in to “test the waters” before starting
treatment themselves. With advancements in orthodontics, the wires and brackets
are more discreet and comfortable. Many wearing braces have stated that it is not as they had feared and for the most part has not impacted their daily lives.
With that being said, there are a few areas where it is
better to have youth on your side. For example, like most of us teeth can be
set in their ways. Teeth are held in place by elastic fibers. When the tooth is
moved to the proper position the fibers move with the tooth but are still
stretched. This stretching causes the tooth to want to move back to the
original location. This is why retention is so important (we will cover this
topic in another blog). The longer the
tooth is not in the proper location the more “memory” the elastic fibers will
have and the more prone to relapse.
