Is it too late to get braces? Patients are sometimes concerned that, as adults, they've lost the opportunity to fix their smile. Fortunately, this is not the case — it’s actually never too late to get braces. No matter what your situation or dental ailment, braces can still be considered as an effective treatment option.

With more and more adult patients coming in to the clinic seeking contemporary treatments like Invisalign^®, there's no reason to put it off any longer. If you never got the opportunity to have braces as a child, now is your chance to finally enjoy the benefits of a beautiful smile.

The benefits of adult braces

In the past, one of the hardest aspects of wearing braces was the social stigma patients felt (like the fact old schoolyard "metal-mouth" taunts you might remember from childhood). These days, orthodontic treatments have advanced to the point where braces are no longer obvious to those around you. For instance, the Invisalign system is clear and removable — meaning there's no reason to feel shy about wearing braces in public.

Besides the aesthetic benefits of having straight teeth, adult braces will also improve your overall health and wellbeing. For instance, you’ll find that once teeth have been straightened, you’ll significantly reduce the risk of tooth decay and prevent the early onset of gum diseases such as gingivitis. That’s because crooked and overcrowded teeth are much more difficult to brush and floss adequately, which heightens the potential for these problems to develop over time. As a result, you're far less likely to require fillings for cavities in the future.

The boost in self esteem that comes from sporting a confident smile can have immense benefits to our personal and professional lives. So with today's braces being less inconvenient and more cosmetically friendly than those of the past, the question is which treatment option will suit you best?

What are my options?

With many different types of braces available, the decision as to which treatment to pick will depend on your lifestyle, the amount of time you’re willing to commit to wearing your braces, and the severity of the problem itself. Your orthodontist will assess these factors and advise which options will best suit you. These include:

Traditional metal braces
Usually the first thing that comes to mind when we think of braces are the traditional wire-and-bracket type. The design and materials in today's metal braces — while similar in concept to those used in the past — are much less noticeable, are lighter, more comfortable, and are worn for a shorter period of time.

Lingual braces
Much like traditional braces, lingual braces are designed to be fitted with brackets and wires to the back of the teeth. These can be a more uncomfortable than traditional braces at first and a little harder to clean, but once fitted they are almost invisible.

Ceramic braces
These are the same size and shape as traditional braces, but with brackets made of tooth-coloured ceramic instead of metal. Nowadays even the wires can be tooth-coloured to make them even less noticeable.

Invisalign
It is a popular option for those who require more flexibility in their orthodontic treatment. Similar in application to a sports mouth-guard, Invisalign are a series of clear, removable plastic aligners which are fitted to your teeth. The aligners are switched every two weeks to a new, modified set, allowing your teeth to gently move into place without the use of any brackets or wires. It usually does not require any permanent fixtures to be attached to your teeth, and because the aligners are made from a thin transparent material, they are the least visible form of braces that are currently available.

As an Invisalign inner west Sydney practitioner, Dr Anthony Pistolese has years of experience in treating patients of all ages, and provides a consultation service to those wanting to know more about how they too can achieve a winning smile. If you’ve spent too long feeling unhappy with your teeth, contact us at Inner West Orthodontics now to book an appointment, and find a braces solution that’s tailored specifically to you.