Braces tend to be most effective and efficient during adolescence if they're applied after your child has lost all their primary teeth, but not before their second molars have erupted, which usually occurs between 11 and 13 years of age.
No age is too old to get orthodontic treatment. Whether you're sixteen or sixty years old, you can still get your teeth straightened with braces or clear aligners, in fact, age is just a number when it comes to orthodontic treatment.
For children, most get braces between 9 and 14 years old. But adults can benefit from orthodontia as well, and there's no right or wrong age for adults to get braces. As a general rule, once the adult teeth are in, braces are possible.
There's No Age Limit for Braces (14 and up)
Many believe they are too old for braces and straight teeth, but that's not true. Your teeth don't grow like hair or fingernails. They're always going to be the same size and can be fixed at any time from 14 to 41.
Any age is the right age for braces. Although in the past braces were often associated with children and teenagers, at least 1 in 5 modern recipients are adults interested in improving their oral health and wellness.
There's really no age limit for braces except in a very broad sense. Children shouldn't get braces placed on their baby teeth, for example; they should wait until they have their adult teeth. But once the adult teeth are in, the only contraindications for braces are health-related, not age-related.
Today, adults, and even senior adults, are getting healthy smiles with adult orthodontics. Dr. Patel has had many adult patients come in and ask, “Am I too old for braces?” The simple answer is, no, you're never too old for orthodontic care — our oldest patient at The Brace Place was 78-years-old!
If you wear braces it is completely normal to experience soreness or discomfort when you first have them fitted, or when you have the brackets and wires tightened. Most pain or discomfort is caused by the pressure needed to create sufficient tooth movement for the braces to do their work.
While your specialist orthodontist may fix minor problems, such as mild tooth crowding or spacing issues, within 6-8 months, more complex problems involving the bite may take up to 12-18 months for treatment. Another factor is patient compliance.
How long kids need to wear braces depends on the problems the orthodontist is trying to fix. The average time is about 2 years. After that, a child might wear a specially molded retainer — a small, hard piece of plastic with metal wires or a thin piece of plastic shaped like a mouthguard.
There are many types of braces on the market, including metal, ceramic, and lingual braces. Traditional metal braces are typically the cheapest option available, averaging $3,000 to $7,000.
Nowadays, there are several options of braces that work the fastest. Typical metallic braces treatment has been refined and developed to give much better and quicker results. Now ceramic braces, lingual braces, self ligating braces and functional braces are considered as fastest braces to straighten teeth.
But teeth continue to shift as we age, so there's never a time when braces won't work. Braces adjust teeth by putting pressure on them, and this pressure works even after bones have stopped growing. It takes longer to straighten teeth in adults because bones are more solid. Still, braces are effective at any age.
Although pediatric dentists and orthodontists recommend children to be screened by an orthodontist as early as age seven, braces are not generally fitted until a child is at least 12, has 12-year molars, and has lost all their primary teeth.
Yes, braces can change your jawline, your chin, the shape of your mouth, and even your lips. However, these effects are secondary to the actual reforming of your teeth and bite. Braces can tighten your jawline and your teeth, but this happens over time and imperceptibly.
Braces improve your overall appearance. By beautifully aligning your teeth, braces create an esthetically pleasing result that significantly boosts your attractiveness and self-confidence.
Mild pain or discomfort is a normal side effect of wearing braces. But you should only feel the discomfort immediately after your orthodontist places or adjusts your braces or wires. The discomfort typically disappears within four days, and braces pain rarely lasts longer than a week.
However, as we get older, we start to find that our bottom teeth can become more and more noticeable, as they become more and more crooked. Many people experience crowding as a child, so it can be surprising when it starts to happen again as an adult.
2. You'll look different. Your teeth will be straight when orthodontic treatment is complete, but that's not the only change. Your entire appearance will be affected by your newly aligned teeth, especially for teens whose appearance changes quickly – they'll look older and a straight smile will be part of that picture.
Will braces make you look younger? While undergoing orthodontic treatment as an adult can make you feel like you're back in your teens – especially if you are wearing braces – it's actually after your treatment is completed that people really notice a more youthful appearance.
Not getting braces often results in common misalignments. More serious problems with the alignment of the jaw can progress and affect the bite to a greater degree over time, causing problems such as overbites and crossbites.
When is it too late to get braces? The answer, it's never too late to get braces! Getting braces is usually associated with children and teenagers, but we are here to inform you that there is no age limit on getting braces. Having the perfect smile can be lifetime goal of yours no matter what your age.