Orthodontics for Adults

Orthodontics for adults has become more popular due to Invisalign Clear Aligners and Clear Braces. In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists states that one in five orthodontic patients is over the age of 21. Many adults are choosing to receive treatment because they understand the importance of maintaining their Top McKinney Orthodontics health, and they want to feel better about their appearance. Adults everywhere are taking advantage of the opportunity to receive orthodontic care, and now you can too!

Why should you consider orthodontic treatment as an adult?

Straight teeth are healthy teeth — Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to keep clean with flossing and brushing and may help prevent other health problems.
A beautiful, straight Hollywood Smile builds confidence and makes you look and feel younger — Top McKinney Orthodontics treatment can help boost your self-confidence, giving you a better quality of life and the freedom to smile without holding back!
A bad bite or crooked teeth can cause jaw pain and pressure and/or can lead to decay, chipped or worn teeth and gum disease.
Mouths left untreated can get worse — Not receiving orthodontic treatment when it’s needed can create long-term health issues costing you more in the end for uncomfortable periodontal treatment or expensive restorative dental care.

Treatment options for adults:

For many adults, the thought of having metal braces is enough to discourage them from receiving Top McKinney Orthodontics treatment. However, today’s orthodontic treatment options offer a variety of braces and appliances that are comfortable, aesthetic, and customized to meet your needs. The types of braces that we offer include:

Invisalign/Clear Active Aligners
Clear/Invisible Braces (Both Damon & In-Ovation self-ligating)
Metal Braces (Both Damon & In-Ovation self-ligating)

The difference between adult orthodontics and orthodontics for children and teens:

Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics recognizes that adults and children have different needs, and require a different level of Top McKinney Orthodontics attention and care. That is why we offer a private area in our clinic especially for adults to be seen privately if they prefer. Plus, we work with you to ensure that you receive the most appropriate treatment to meet your individual needs, since there are many options when it comes to orthodontic treatment. We also understand that you have a busy schedule, and we will work with you to make sure each office visit is as convenient as possible.

The main difference between treating adults versus treating children and teens is that the jawbones of younger patients are still developing; whereas for adults these bones have stopped growing, which may sometimes make orthognathic surgery necessary in order to align the jawbones. But, don’t let this scare you! Many adults are functioning fine even when the jawbones are not perfectly aligned; we can still get great orthodontic results without aggressive measures like jaw surgery. Many adults choose Top McKinney Orthodontics options like Invisalign/ Clear Aligners or Braces to remove “years” off their look. Straight teeth add youthfulness and who doesn’t want to look younger?

To learn more about the benefits of adult orthodontics, please contact our practice to schedule an appointment.

How Often Will My Appointments Be?

We know that you are very busy with work and/or with your family and your time is very valuable. This is one of the reasons we at Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics use high performance wires that work over long periods of time, therefore, you will need fewer appointments spaced out about every 6 to 10 weeks (average once every 2 months). These highly desired wires are made with new technology called Nickel Titanium or Niti and are much gentler on your teeth and mouth.
We also guarantee extended office hours throughout the week so that we can accommodate your busy schedule. We are open for you Monday through Thursday from 7:45am to 6pm and until 6:30pm on Tuesdays. We have opened up our schedule so that you don’t have to choose work over your orthodontic appointments!

How Painful Will Braces Or Invisalign/ Clear Aligners Be?

The first week that you have your Braces or Invisalign/ Clear Aligners can be the most difficult during your orthodontic journey. This is because your teeth and gums are having to get used to your Braces or Clear Aligners and the teeth are being shifted in order to start working towards your new Hollywood Smile. But don’t worry! It is nothing that some Advil or Tylenol can’t help. Your teeth and gums will start to get used to the gentle shifting of your teeth and the discomfort will decrease significantly as time goes on.

We know that starting Braces as an adult can be more challenging than Invisalign/ Clear Aligners, since you could notice yourself worrying about food stuck in your braces throughout the day. There is an easy fix for this! At our office we provide very small toothpick-sized toothbrushes that are easy to carry with you throughout the day or you can carry a normal toothbrush with you if you prefer. Make sure to brush after every meal to help keep your teeth the cleanest. With Clear Aligners you can easily remove your aligners to brush your teeth and to eat, so many adults prefer this option for those reasons.

Adults with Braces do need to avoid certain foods that are chewy, gooey or very hard. These different foods can affect your orthodontic treatment by bending wires or breaking brackets. Broken brackets or bent wires cause treatment to be slowed. If this happens please give us a call as soon as possible so that we can resolve the issue. An advantage of Clear Aligners is that you can eat what you like (with the aligners off of course!) and there are no food restrictions. This is yet another Top McKinney Orthodontics reason why adults prefer Clear Aligners.

How Long Will I Need To Wear Braces or Invisalign/ Clear Aligners?

Treatment time is definitely different from patient to patient. During your first evaluation appointment, one of our amazing doctors, Dr. Stephanie Crise or Dr. Jessica Downs, will let you know approximately how long you will be in orthodontic treatment. Typical ranges for treatment times are usually from 6 to 24 months.

Click here to schedule your FREE Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics evaluation or call (972)529-9700 to speak with someone on our dynamic team!