Braces rank on the list of “uncomfortable reminders of teenage life” along with lanky limbs, cracking voices, and acne. There are few clearer symbols of the awkward transition between childhood and adulthood in the media. This should come as no surprise since orthodontists estimate that around forty-five percent of all kids and teens need some type of orthodontic work done.
However, there are many financial barriers that may prevent people from getting braces until they become adults. Having braces as an adult is quite a different experience compared to getting them as a child or teen. The conditions braces treat, the cost, and the length of time you need them all vary.
How so? Here’s what you need to know.
What Conditions Do Braces for Adults Treat?
At their core, adult braces are designed to handle the same conditions as braces for kids and teens. However, since these conditions have gone for much longer without treatment, they will be much further progressed than they would have had someone received orthodontic treatment as a child. Worse, if someone’s dental hygiene is lackluster, there may be teeth permanently missing.
Some of the conditions that adult braces can treat include:
Overbites and Underbites
Overbites and underbites are fairly common conditions to seek braces to treat. In the case of an overbite, your top set of teeth far overlaps your bottom set. In the case of an underbite, it’s the opposite. Many who purchase Adult Braces do so to treat these conditions.
Spacing or Crowding
Are your teeth too far spaced out or crowded on top of each other? If so, getting braces can help put your teeth back into alignment. It’s hard to feel like smiling when people will see your teeth awkwardly spaced or crunching on top of each other, so these types of spacing issues are a common motivation to get braces.
Misaligned Jaws
Do you feel like your jaw’s tense all the time? It could be due to how you compensate for your other orthodontic issues! The human body is an incredible thing, capable of finding all sorts of workarounds when doing things the normal way proves difficult or painful. This means that you can push your jaw out of alignment by working around your bite.
By straightening your teeth, braces can also help you get your jaw back in line.
Chewing, Periodontal, and Speech Issues
Most people think braces are an aesthetic choice, rather than a health-based one. However, if your teeth don’t align properly, it’s difficult to chew food, clean your teeth, or even speak without distortion. Adult braces adjust your teeth to an optimal position for speech, dental hygiene, and eating.
What Types of Adult Braces Are There?
So, you think you want to get braces to adjust your smile. Whether it’s for aesthetic reasons or to cut down on pain, you need to know your options.
So, what types of braces can you get? Your options include lingual, ceramic, and metal braces. Let’s discuss the differences between these types in further detail.
Lingual Braces
Do you have a variety of orthodontic problems that would all but require a set of traditional metal braces? Are you not fond of the idea of smiling with an obvious face full of metal for the next several years? If so, then lingual braces might be the solution for you.
Lingual braces, as the name would suggest, run closer to the tongue as they’re applied to your teeth from the back. This lets you receive the benefits of a severe correction with metal braces without the esthetic drawbacks. However, due to their placement, they can cause irritation to your tongue and some speech issues, including a lisp.
Lingual braces are not often taught during an orthodontist’s training, so you may need to find a specialist to get them done.
Metal Braces
When you hear the word braces, this is doubtless the image that comes into your mind. Traditional metal braces run across the front of the teeth and are adjusted by orthodontists every one to two months. While they are by far the strongest type of braces and the most “set and forget”, they do require intensive good oral hygiene throughout.
Metal braces can be quite painful after an adjustment, limiting you to soups and soft foods in the immediate aftermath. And, of course, they seriously limit your food options the whole time you’re wearing them.
However, since metal braces have been around the longest, every orthodontist will be proficient in adjusting them. So, you won’t need to search for a specialist to get the job done.
Ceramic Braces
Not fond of the speech issues caused by lingual braces or the esthetic of classic metal braces? Ceramic braces might be your best option. These braces work the same way as their metal counterparts do, but are made from a tooth-colored ceramic material. This makes them a subtler choice for those who need severe corrections.
It’s important to note that these braces can stain and are a bit larger than their metal counterparts. All the same, they can offer an affordable alternative to the face full of metal.
How Long Do Braces Take for Adults?
Now, to the elephant in the room: How long can you expect to wear braces as an adult? As with all things orthodontic, the answer is that it depends.
While generally, kids’ teeth move faster than adults’ teeth, that’s not the only deciding factor. Some factors that can affect how long you’ll wear braces after getting them as an adult include:
The Severity of the Orthodontic Issues
As you might expect, there’s a serious difference between fixing a small gap between your front teeth and course-correcting an overcrowded lower jaw. If you only need minor adjustments, you might be out of your braces before six months. However, if you need major shifts in the look and feel of your jaw, you’ll be in braces for at least a year and a half, if not longer.
The Type of Braces Used
There’s no denying that metal braces are the most effective at what they do. Opting for the traditional face full of braces might not be the most esthetically pleasing choice, but it will get you out of braces the fastest. Lingual braces, hidden as they are, offer subtler adjustments and will take much longer to complete their task.
Your Dental Hygiene Throughout
It’s difficult for braces to do their job when you don’t keep your mouth clean. You don’t want your orthodontist to have to spend most of your appointment on picking food and plaque out of your braces, do you? That sort of negligence will only add to the length of time you need to wear your braces.
How Much Do Braces Cost?
Now, onto the greatest concern for working adults: How much do braces cost? As you can imagine, what you pay depends on the type of braces you get, your location, and whether or not you have some sort of dental or orthodontic insurance coverage to help with your expenses. However, on average, you can expect to pay:
- Between $3000 and $7000 for metal braces
- Between $4000 and $8000 for ceramic braces
- Between $8000 and $10000 for lingual braces
This is, of course, assuming you have no help from insurance or other sources. However, dental insurance may or may not cover your braces, depending on whether it’s deemed for esthetic or medically necessary purposes.
“Should I Get Braces, or Are There Alternatives?” Your Other Options
So, you’ve examined your options with traditional braces and found that you don’t like any of them. Now, you’re wondering if you have any other options. Thankfully, there are a few, including:
Invisalign and Other Tooth Aligners
You can’t talk about alternatives to brace without discussing Invisalign, the invisible tooth aligner used by many orthodontists for patients who don’t like the idea of brace. While these aligners offer a subtler alternative to traditional braces, they may struggle to fix more severe dental problems. Plus, they can only work as long as you put them in, just like a classic retainer.
Veneers
If your orthodontic concerns are purely esthetic in nature, then veneers might prove beneficial. These ceramic wafers remove the enamel from your teeth and cover up any issues present. However, while they present a better-looking smile, they won’t fix any underlying orthodontic issues. So, don’t rely on veneers to handle anything more than a minor esthetic correction.
Need More Information About Braces and Other Dental Health Concerns?
Finding out that you need braces as an adult can be difficult, and the information online can be overwhelming. Hopefully, our guide was able to illustrate the conditions adult braces can treat, the types of braces available to you, and what braces cost.
Are you a busy adult who needs more information about braces and other dental health concerns? If so, then check out the health section of our blog! We update each day with all the latest and greatest tips and tricks to make your smile sparkle and shine.
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