Ottawa-Gatineau Orthodontists Alliance
Posted by Dr. Scott Allen, 2018-03-29
Do you ever find yourself looking in the mirror and thinking to yourself, “I sure wish I could have had braces when I was a kid”? Maybe it’s time to do more than wish.
You can’t go back in time, but you can still get the healthy, beautiful smile you’ve always wished was yours. It’s very likely not too late. Orthodontic treatment can be just as successful for adults as it is for children and youth. Don’t let your age keep you from consulting a certified orthodontist.
Whether you’re 8 or 80, orthodontic treatment involves the same physiological process that moves teeth through bone. Adults have denser bone tissue than children, so orthodontic treatment may take a little longer, but age does not keep teeth from moving.
Adults can occasionally have more complicated orthodontic cases, though, for a variety of reasons. They may have fillings, missing teeth, misshapen or worn teeth, or other dental issues. These are conditions well within a certified orthodontist’s realm of treatment experience. Making sure these conditions are properly addressed is just one reason it’s so important to make sure you are being treated by certified orthodontist.
A certified orthodontist has years of formal education in orthodontics after graduating from dental school. An orthodontic specialist has the education, expertise and experience you need to properly manage your orthodontic care and help you reach your best possible result.
To move your teeth in their ideal positions, your orthodontist will use an “appliance,” braces or aligners, for example, to deliver controlled forces that gently and predictably reposition your teeth.
In recent years, there has been a revolution in orthodontic appliances – much of it driven by adults who want straight teeth but want to be as inconspicuous as possible about their orthodontic treatment.
Today’s options for orthodontic appliances include tooth-colored braces, tiny but more traditional metal braces, gold-colored braces, braces that go behind the teeth, and braces that aren’t braces at all, but are a series of plastic-like trays (aligners) that move teeth a little at a time.
Not every type of appliance is suitable for correction of every kind of orthodontic problem. This is yet another reason to make sure you are being treated by a certified orthodontist. Orthodontists have access to the full range of appliances, and more than anyone else in the dental profession, orthodontists know which appliance is right for an individual patient’s care.
Orthodontic treatment for adults lasts an average of 22 months. During that time, orthodontist visits are scheduled about every six to eight weeks. It’s a comparatively small investment of time that pays big dividends in improved dental health, better function (biting, chewing), the ability to more easily keep your teeth clean, and improved self-confidence.
As an Orthodontist, it’s so heart-warming for me to witness the first time an adult patient sees their new smile. Sometimes there are tears through smiles, and sometimes expressions of outright joy. Most of the time the only regret expressed is to have not taken this step much sooner.
Your opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile has not passed you by. You don’t have to spend the rest of your life hiding your smile. Just because you didn’t have orthodontic treatment when you were a youngster doesn’t prevent you from doing something about it now. Your age doesn’t matter. You can have the smile you’ve always wanted. It starts with consulting a certified orthodontist.
The only doctors who can legitimately call themselves “orthodontists” have graduated from dental school and then, successfully completed the additional two-to-three years of education in an accredited orthodontic residency program.
When you choose a certified orthodontist for your orthodontic treatment, you can be assured that you have selected a specialist. Choosing an orthodontist means you have chosen an expert in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics who possesses the skills and experience to give you your best smile.
Ready to talk to an Orthodontist about getting the smile you’ve always wished for? Check out our directory of Orthodontists in Ottawa-Gatineau today.
