Orthodontics
for Adults
Have
you always wanted straight, even teeth?
With orthodontics, the dental specialty
of aligning (straightening) teeth, you
can have your teeth "remodeled"
to produce the smile you've always wanted.
Why not choose braces to improve your
appearance and overall dental health?
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When
Braces Are the Right Choice
Have
you spent your life guarding your smile
or hiding your teeth behind your hands?
If so, braces (appliances) may change
your life. By improving the way your
teeth fit in your mouth, braces can
help you feel less self-conscious about
laughing and talking around other people.
Braces may also improve your dental
health by making it easier to keep your
teeth and gums clean. Braces may even
help make your bite more comfortable.
Orthodontic treatment takes only slightly
longer for adults than for children,
and the results can be just as satisfying.
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Can
orthodontic treatment do for me what
it does for children?
Healthy
teeth can be moved at almost any age.
Many orthodontic problems can be corrected
as easily and as well for adults as
children. Orthodontic forces move the
teeth in the same way for both a 75-year-old
adult and a 12-year-old child. Complicating
factors, such as lack of jaw growth,
may create special treatment planning
needs for the adult.
One
in five orthodontic patients is an adult.
The AAO estimates that nearly 1,000,000
adults in the United States and Canada
are receiving treatment from an orthodontist.
To learn about correction of a specific
problem, please consult your family
dentist or an orthodontist.
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How does adult treatment differ from
that of children and adolescents?
Adults
are not growing and may have experienced
some breakdown or loss of their teeth
and bone that supports the teeth. Orthodontic
treatment may then be only a part of
the patient's overall treatment plan.
Close coordination may be required between
the orthodontist, oral surgeon, periodontist,
endodontist and family dentist to assure
that a complicated adult orthodontic
problem is managed well and complements
all other areas of the patient's treatment
needs. Below are the most common characteristics
that can cause adult treatment to differ
from treatment for children.
No
jaw growth: Jaw problems can
usually be managed well in a growing
child with an orthopedic, growth-modifying
appliance. However, the same problem
for an adult may require jaw surgery.
For example, if an adult's lower jaw
is too short to match properly with
the upper jaw, a severe bite problem
may result. The limited amount that
the teeth can be moved with braces alone
may not correct this bite problem. Bringing
the lower teeth forward into a proper
bite relationship could require jaw
surgery, which would lengthen the lower
jaw and bring the lower teeth forward
into the proper bite. Other jaw-width
or jaw-length discrepancies between
the upper and lower jaws might also
require surgery for bite correction
if tooth movement alone cannot correct
the bite.
Gum
or bone loss (periodontal breakdown):
Adults are more likely to have experienced
damage or loss of the gum and bone supporting
their teeth (periodontal disease). Special
treatment by the patient's dentist or
a periodontist may be necessary before,
during and/or after orthodontic treatment.
Bone loss can also limit the amount
and direction of tooth movement that
is advisable.
Worn,
damaged or missing teeth: Worn,
damaged or missing teeth can make orthodontic
treatment more difficult, but more important
for the patient to have. Teeth may gradually
wear and move into positions where they
can be restored only after precise orthodontic
movement. Damaged or broken teeth may
not look good or function well even
after orthodontic treatment unless they
are carefully restored by the patient's
dentist. Missing teeth that are not
replaced often cause progressive tipping
and drifting of other teeth, which worsens
the bite, increases the potential for
periodontal problems and makes any treatment
more difficult.
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I
have painful jaw muscles and jaw joints
- can an orthodontist help?
Jaw muscle and jaw joint discomfort
is commonly associated with bruxing,
that is, habitual grinding or clenching
of the teeth, particularly at night.
Bruxism is a muscle habit pattern that
can cause severe wearing of the teeth,
and overloading and trauma to the jaw
joint structures. Chronically or acutely
sore and painful jaw muscles may accompany
this bruxing habit. An orthodontist
can help diagnose this problem. Your
family dentist or orthodontist may also
place a bite splint or nightguard appliance
that can protect the teeth and help
jaw muscles relax, substantially reducing
the original pain symptoms. Sometimes
structural damage can require joint
surgery and/or restoration of damaged
teeth.
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My
family dentist said I need to have some
missing teeth replaced, but I need orthodontic
treatment first - why?
Your
dentist is probably recommending orthodontics
so that he or she might treat you in
the best manner possible to bring you
to optimal dental health. Many complicated
tooth restorations, such as crowns,
bridges and implants, can be best accomplished
when the remaining teeth are properly
aligned and the bite is correct.
When
permanent teeth are lost, it is common
for the remaining teeth to drift, tip
or shift. This movement can create a
poor bite and uneven spacing that cannot
be restored properly unless the missing
teeth are replaced. Tipped teeth usually
need to be straightened so they can
stand up to normal biting pressures
in the future.
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My teeth have been crooked for more
than 50 years - why should I have orthodontic
treatment now?
Orthodontic
treatment, when indicated, is a positive
step - especially for adults who have
endured a long-standing problem. Orthodontic
treatment can restore good function.
Teeth that work better usually look
better, too. And a healthy, beautiful
smile can improve self-esteem, no matter
the age.
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