Finding the best providers of adult braces treatment Albany residents have available also means considering all the challenges of undergoing orthodontic treatment. One of the main concerns we’ve seen among our adult patients is age.
Many believe they are too old to start wearing braces and correcting their teeth and jaw alignment. Fortunately, this is not the case.
If you wondered before, “Can adults get braces?” you’ll be glad there’s no age limit to finding a dental braces Albany provider who can oversee your specialized dental treatment. Adults are, in many ways, ideal candidates. However, there is one main concern that needs attention.
Besides, it’s essential that while you wear your braces, you follow your orthodontist’s guidelines regarding proper upkeep of oral hygiene, frequent checkups, and dietary considerations to keep your mouth and teeth as healthy as possible.
We’ll talk in more detail about the challenges adults face during their orthodontic care in this article, so buckle up and read along. We hope this information will help you make an informed decision about when to start your treatment with a team like ours here at Estes Orthodontics.
Obstacles Related to Adult Orthodontic Treatment and Oral Hygiene
As we mentioned before, you can rest assured that age is not a limiting factor.
If anything, you’ll have to be above 7 years old to begin effective orthodontic care, but you won’t have a ticking clock to worry about as you get older. According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), the proportion of adults undergoing dental alignment treatments has risen.
So the good news is that more adults are engaging in treatment. More patients notice the benefits of orthodontic treatment for adults and undertake this specialized care.
All adults, however, have to be very attentive to a couple of situations affecting them. First of all, adult dental structures are no longer growing or as malleable as young ones. Second, periodontal disease can negatively impact your viability as an orthodontic patient.
The objective of orthodontic treatment is to realign your teeth and make it easier to maintain good oral hygiene; however, in order to achieve this, the orthodontic appliances we use have to move your teeth gradually, which requires healthy supporting tissues. This is where oral hygiene shines. If you fail to maintain good oral hygiene for prolonged periods, you will risk developing periodontal disease, and the result is weakened gums and jaw bones that make it almost impossible to realign teeth safely.
Adults are generally better at keeping their teeth clean when compared to children, but the risk of bacteria growth and plaque build-up only increases with age.
What Is Periodontal Disease?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines periodontal disease as an infection and the resulting inflammation of gums and even bone tissue around the base of a patient’s teeth. Periodontal disease is, in and of itself, an umbrella term for several stages of infection that harm the tissues supporting your teeth and keeping them in place.
As the softer gum tissue recedes, the harmful agents produced by unwanted bacteria begin to erode the bone tissue and could lead to tooth loss.
Can You Wear Adult Braces if You Have Periodontal Disease?
These dental health conditions refer to varying degrees of gum tissue infections that can result in maxillar bone tissue loss. Periodontitis, the most severe case of periodontal disease, can make gums recede and cause tooth loss.
Such complications are, unfortunately, common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 47.2% of US adults suffer from some type of periodontal disease; furthermore, the odds of developing periodontal disease increase with age as an estimated 70.1% of adults over 65 years of age will suffer from these dental health complications.
The principle of orthodontic treatment is to gradually move your teeth and jaws until they reach an ideal position and relationship with the rest of your physical features without surgical interventions.
A team of specialists will usually achieve this using orthodontic appliances such as braces or clear aligners. If your case is too severe, we might recommend coordination with maxillofacial surgeons to provide you with surgical orthodontics.
As trained and certified Albany orthodontists, we ensure that your treatment plan doesn’t result in irreversible damage to your dental structures, which is why we emphasize a patient’s dental health.
If your teeth are not strong enough to resist the movements that characterize orthodontic treatment, you won’t be able to wear adult braces or other orthodontic appliances.
Your periodontal disease weakens the supporting tissues around your teeth’ base, making our work overly challenging. It’s not impossible, however, as, according to this study, careful coordination between orthodontists and periodontists can lead to positive results.
What to Do if You Want to Get Adult Braces?
The journey is as important as the destination.
If you wish to get a beautiful and healthy smile, you have to pay close attention to your dental health before and during any specialized treatments.
You will constantly hear dental health professionals talk a lot about the importance of brushing your teeth well.
We won’t ever stop doing that. Oral hygiene is paramount.
Be Careful About Your Dental Hygiene Routine
Properly brushing your teeth and correctly using dental floss will go a long way in preventing the damage caused by periodontal diseases such as periodontitis.
If you are attentive to your oral hygiene, you won’t suffer from severe cases of periodontal complications that delay or completely prevent your orthodontic care. Even more, continuing to have good dental hygiene habits and routines while you wear traditional metal braces or any other orthodontic appliance ensures your treatment’s efficiency.
If you wear adult braces, you’ll have to pay close attention to your dental hygiene routine. You have to brush your teeth after every meal to reduce the possibility of plaque build-up and feed harmful bacteria that destroy your tooth’s enamel and cause significant tooth decay.
You could also consider investing in an interdental brush or a water irrigator to clean all nooks and crannies in your mouth thoroughly. This is more efficient than using dental floss; still, you’ll also get rid of all leftover food particles if you use your dental floss accordingly.
Whether you use traditional metal braces or asked us to get the finest ceramic braces El Cerrito residents can get, you will have to be very attentive to your dental hygiene.
Avoiding the problems caused by periodontal disease and successfully completing your treatment is within your reach.
You can also read more about the relationship between your oral hygiene and tooth decay during treatment here.
The Best Orthodontist Albany Has Available
As you can see, patients wishing to start their specialized dental adult treatment with us don’t have to worry about their age.
Our main concern is ensuring your teeth are healthy enough to resist the treatment plan we develop with you.
You can trust our team to provide you with the help you require to achieve a beautiful and healthy smile. It’s not just about aligning your teeth; it’s also about maintaining and improving your dental health.
We will offer you the guidance and support you need to avoid foods and habits that contribute to periodontal disease while actively correcting any damage to your periodontal tissues.
Schedule Your Appointment With Our Orthodontist at Estes Orthodontics
We like to help neighbors from cities such as Albany, El Cerrito, and Berkeley, though you’ll find our office in Albany, CA. We’re just off San Pablo Avenue, so getting to and from our office feels like a breeze.
Get in touch with us to start an evaluation and determine if you can wear adult braces now or what you have to do to start your treatment. Set an appointment online or call us at (510) 525-1772.
