Are Adult Braces Right For You?

You’ve finally decided it’s time to straighten your teeth. After years of being unhappy with your smile, you make an appointment with an orthodontist to find out about clear plastic aligners. Your excitement quickly turns to disappointment when you find out that you’re not a candidate for aligners—but you can get adult braces.

Braces might not be what you wanted or expected, but adult braces deserve a second look. They’re less obvious and more effective than ever before. Here’s what you need to know.

Most adults who decide to pursue orthodontic treatment want the convenience of invisible aligners. While aligners are a great option for many patients, there are still some complex orthodontic issues where aligners are either not an option at all or not as effective as braces. In other cases, dental insurance may only cover the cost of traditional braces or if you don’t have dental insurance at all, you will need to cover the costs out-of-pocket. Traditional braces are an affordable treatment option that work for most orthodontic problems you’re trying to correct.

Braces for adults and children are the same—although we’d be willing to bet as an adult, you’re not quite as excited about choosing colored elastics to hold your wires in place. (Don’t worry, there are clear elastics too.)

Even if you opt for traditional metal braces, today’s metal braces are less bulky than the ones of decades past. The archwires move teeth more efficiently, shortening treatment times. You might be put off by the idea of metal braces, but you may only need to wear them for a short amount of time.

Many adults choose clear, or ceramic, braces as an alternative to metal. Ceramic brackets, too, have advanced in recent years, with a lower profile and stain resistance so they blend in with the rest of your smile throughout your entire orthodontic treatment, not just in the beginning. Another option is lingual braces, which are applied to the backs of your teeth instead of the front, making them invisible. Your orthodontist will help you determine which solution is right for you.

One potential alternative to braces is dental veneers (porcelain laminate veneers).  It’s a service we offer at The Ricco Dental Group and it’s one that can correct some types of malocclusions and misalignments. Where orthodontics can correct only tooth positioning,  dental veneers can also offer the benefit of correcting the size shape and color of your teeth. We can close spaces, alter the length, width, position or color of your teeth. If you are unhappy with your smile for any of these reasons, you may be a candidate for veneers.

If you’d like to discuss your concerns about your smile, contact us at 516-931-3999 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ricco. We can go over whether veneers are an option for you and, if not, we can give you a referral to an orthodontist who can further discuss your orthodontic options with you.