When we think of braces, we think of them as treatment we receive in our adolescent years. However, one in five orthodontic patients today are adults! Taking care of your smile is not a job that ends once you enter adulthood, so you’re never too old to get the improved smile that braces can provide. At New England Ortho Specialists, we want you to feel your best no matter how old you are. Let’s take a look at just a few of the advantages of getting braces as an adult.
Improved Overall Health
Straightening your teeth is not the only thing braces can do. Braces provide a host of benefits for your overall health. Common health problems such as headaches, jaw pain, and even digestion and sleep issues can be addressed and avoided by getting braces. Braces can be more high maintenance, but this maintenance can encourage habits that increase overall oral cleanliness. The extra care that goes into cleaning your teeth with braces can lead to a healthier, cleaner mouth. Straighter teeth can also make the cleaning process easier, with less room for plaque and bacteria to grow inside. This decreases your risk of cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. It can also give you more access to your gum line, which makes flossing much easier and more effective.
On top of all this, your teeth are an important part of the digestive process. Misalignment of your jaw can cause damage to the area where your teeth meet when you take a bite, which can make the chewing process difficult and uncomfortable. When your jaw or teeth do not meet properly when you’re chewing, you risk over-exerting your jaw muscles which can lead to complications like TMD or temporomandibular joint disorder. The result of not chewing properly is that your digestion can be compromised. The food is not adequately digested, which leads to a lack of nutrient absorption, indigestion, and reflux.
Variety of Treatment
At New England Ortho Specialists, we have several treatment options for you to choose from. Our office provides the latest orthodontics technology and treatment, so your new orthodontic treatment is fast and affordable.
Metal braces
Traditional metal braces are the most popular orthodontic treatment. They are the most widely-recognized type of braces. They consist of durable stainless steel brackets connected by metal wires that are gradually tightened to adjust your teeth over time. Your orthodontist secures the brackets to your teeth with mouth-friendly glue and the braces are worn with elastic bands that help secure the archwires and assist with bite correction. Plus, the bands come in a variety of colors, so you can add some fun personality to your braces!
Clear braces
Want something more subtle? Clear braces, also known as “ceramic braces”, provide a more discreet alternative to metal braces. These braces work similarly to metal braces but are designed to appear almost invisible with a smaller size and are made of tooth-colored polycrystalline ceramic material. The only downside to clear braces is that these braces are more likely to break or stain depending on your eating and lifestyle habits. This is because the polycrystalline ceramic is not as durable as the mix of high-grade metal used for traditional braces. As long as you maintain a rigorous oral hygiene routine, clear braces offer the same effectiveness as metal braces with a more aesthetic design.
Invisalign
Don’t want to deal with brackets and wires? Invisalign is made from clear, acrylic aligners that fit over your teeth. Each Invisalign aligner is custom-fitted for your unique teeth using a 3D image of your mouth made from photos and X-rays from your orthodontist. It’s removable, making eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing easier. This treatment will have to be worn twenty-two hours a day to be effective. Most patients wear theirs for nine to fifteen months depending on individual needs and go through several trays throughout the treatment. No wires, no metal, no bands. Just a clean, comfortable, easy-to-remove treatment.
Cost Efficient
Regardless of how old you are when you get your braces, they are a cost-efficient solution for tooth and jaw problems. All the expensive trips to the dentist that keep your smile in shape can be decreased with the help of braces. Treatment can help you fight cavities, reduce your risk of gum disease, and avoid expensive dental procedures like tooth extractions. Other orthodontic issues like jaw misalignment can wear down your teeth, which can leave your teeth chipped, cracked, or even gone altogether, which can be costly for you in the long run. On top of that, braces deal with these problems directly, so you don’t have to see specialists who will treat symptoms of problems rather than the source. All this helps you save time, money, and hassle by tackling the root of problems before they can arise. The result is a better long-term smile for a lower price.
Aesthetics and Confidence
It’s always good to make a good first impression, and your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. Your self-esteem, confidence, and how other people perceive you can all be improved with a healthier smile. A crooked smile or misaligned teeth, or even teeth that have not been properly cleaned, can not only affect how others see you but even more importantly, how you see yourself. You may find yourself avoiding photos and conversations, or even avoiding smiling altogether. The positioning of your teeth can even affect your speech patterns by causing your tongue or lips not to attain the position necessary to make certain sounds. All of this can have an impact on how you present yourself to the world.
Get the best care at New England Orthodontic Specialists
You deserve all the benefits of a better smile. With the right orthodontists to guide you through the right treatment, better confidence is right around the corner. If you have any questions or concerns about oral hygiene during treatment, our expert team is always here to help set your mind at ease. Get in touch with us today to schedule a FREE initial consultation or follow-up with Dr. Neil and Dr. Diana in any of our offices – Beverly, Topsfield, South Hamilton, or Salem.
