Adult Invisalign and braces to straighten teeth

Grant has always had spacing between his teeth but never had braces as a child. He also had an open bite, which is what happens when your top teeth are too far away from your bottom teeth. This limits the ability to fully use all of your teeth to eat naturally, which results in putting too much force on some teeth and none on the others. This could lead to tooth breakage as a person ages. By balancing a person’s bite forces on each tooth, they are able to prolong the lifetime of teeth. As an adult he did not realize that he could still get orthodontic (braces) treatment, to straighten teeth and close his bite, until we discussed it together while looking at his pictures.

Generally, it is believed that braces are only for children, but that is not true. Healthy teeth will move with braces applying a low continuous force, and you don’t have to be a child for that to happen. The use of braces in adults is beneficial to get teeth straight. Braces reposition teeth to maximize their full potential in balancing the bite which is important for longevity of teeth health. Also, adults are more likely to follow a good oral health care regimen because they understand the significance of good hygiene during treatment.

Initially, Grant was interested in clear adult Invisalign (clear aligner orthodontics). However, Dr. Yang explained the advantages of using braces first, then transitioning to clear aligners, as an option for his orthodontic treatment. With aligners alone, it would be hard to get his top teeth and bottom teeth to meet up, as there was an open bite in the front. So although aligners could help straighten his smile more, he would not be able to fully achieve bite closing where he needed it the most. But, if we were to start with metal braces, we could guide the top teeth towards the bottom teeth so that biting and chewing could be restored. Then once the bite closed, we would remove the braces and switch to clear aligners to refine small details. Braces and aligners were chosen in this case, which resulted in improved function and aesthetics.

Making something look good is never the sole primary objective of dental health treatment. Our goal is to improve the function of teeth, jaws, joints, and the face as a whole. Great cosmetic results are almost always a consequence of a healthy, fully functioning dentition. We will have a more attractive smile when our teeth are aligned properly and function as they should. As a result, we are able to chew and bite foods efficiently, articulate our words, and so forth, dramatically improving our quality of life.

Dentistry, including orthodontics, is not just for children; if you are an adult who notices that you have difficulty chewing and eating, or you have difficulty pronouncing certain words, you may benefit from a full examination to determine what dental treatments may be able to improve your mouth health.

Thank you for sharing your smile and journey Grant!