Straightening your teeth as an adult: what your options really are
Clear aligners, fixed braces or leaving it alone. What each one is genuinely good at, and how to tell which suits your case.
You are not too old
Teeth move at any age. The biological process that lets them move is the same at fifty as it is at fifteen, provided the gums and the bone holding them are healthy. That last condition is the real gate, not your age.
Adults now make up a large share of orthodontic patients in Australia, and clear aligners are most of the reason why.
Why it is not only cosmetic
- Crowded teeth trap plaque where a brush and floss cannot reach
- An uneven bite loads some teeth far harder than others, wearing them down
- Gaps let food pack into the gums repeatedly
- Teeth that sit outside the arch chip and fracture more easily
Clear aligners
A series of transparent trays that move teeth in small increments. They are removable, so you take them out to eat and to clean, and most people will not notice you are wearing them.
They handle mild to moderate crowding, spacing and relapse after childhood braces very well. Their weakness is that they rely on you actually wearing them, generally around twenty two hours a day. If that is not realistic for you, be honest with us and we will plan accordingly.
Fixed braces
Still the more powerful option. Braces give far more control over difficult movements such as rotating a tooth, uprighting one that is tipped, or closing a large gap. They are visible, and modern ceramic brackets are much less obvious than the metal most adults remember.
They also cannot be taken out, which for some people is an advantage.
The option of doing nothing
A genuine option, and one we will raise if it fits. If your teeth are slightly uneven but healthy, cleanable and not wearing unevenly, there is no clinical obligation to straighten them. Cosmetic reasons are perfectly valid, but they should be your reasons rather than ours.
Retainers are not optional
Whatever you choose, the result needs holding. Teeth have a memory and will drift back toward where they started, sometimes within months. Everyone finishes with a retainer, and everyone who skips it eventually regrets it.
