What You Need to Know About Adult Braces

If you’re like many patients thinking about getting adult braces in Roy, Utah, you probably think of a teenager with a mouth full of metal when you hear the word orthodontics. If so, the time has come to reconsider that idea.

Today, people of all ages want to enjoy the benefits of a straighter, healthier smile. In fact, more adults are undergoing orthodontic treatment now than ever before.

Thanks to remarkable advances like Invisalign and ceramic braces, adults can receive the orthodontic treatment they have always wanted without having to worry most of their friends, family, or colleagues ever knowing they’re receiving treatment.

If you desire a great-looking smile and wonder if orthodontic treatment is right for you, here’s what you need to know about getting adult braces in Roy, Utah.

Preparing for Your Adult Braces

Braces work to straighten teeth, improve your bite, space out crowded teeth, and close any gaps that appear in your smile. While braces make a great choice for any patient looking to improve the look and health of their smile, it’s important to understand exactly what it means to receive orthodontic treatment.

When you wear braces, you’ll need to:

• Schedule regular checkups with Dr. Carr. Whether your treatment involves Invisalign or traditional braces, you’ll still need to make time to regularly visit our Roy orthodontist office. While the type of treatment you’re receiving will determine exactly how often you’ll need to schedule checkups and adjustments, plan to find time in your schedule at least once every four to six weeks.
• Make changes to your diet. Wearing braces means having to give up certain types of foods until your treatment is complete. Sticky, starchy, crunchy, and hard foods all fall into the “do not eat” group, so be prepared to make some adjustments to your diet. One of the many advantages of Invisalign treatment, however, is that patients can continue to eat whatever they want during treatment, because they can simply remove their Invisalign aligner during meals.
• Brush and floss more regularly. Daily brushing and flossing rank as the two most important habits you can practice for protecting the long-term health of your teeth and gums. Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment need to pay even more attention to their daily oral hygiene, as food becomes easily stuck and trapped under the brackets and wires of braces. Leaving food trapped to fester under your orthodontic appliance can cause permanent damage to the health of your teeth while also increasing your treatment time.

Questions to Ask Dr. Carr

Dr. Carr is always happy to answer any questions patients may have about their treatment plan. Make sure to take the opportunity to thoroughly ask any questions you may have about your treatment so that you know what to expect in advance.

Here are a few questions to keep in mind during your first visit to our Roy orthodontist office:

• What types of braces will work best for my teeth?
• How long will I have to wear my braces?
• How do I take care of my braces once they are on?
• How often will I need to schedule office visits?
• What happens after I have my braces removed?

These are just a few basic questions that every patient should know the answers to before beginning treatment.

Understanding Your Options

You have more than one path available for getting the straighter, healthier smile you’ve always wanted. The type of treatment you select depends on how your teeth need to move in order to improve your smile.

Traditional braces. These types of braces use gentle pressure to move your teeth into position over time. Dr. Carr will glue brackets to the front of your teeth and connect them with a wire. Every four to six weeks, Dr. Carr will tighten the wire, slowly moving your jaw, teeth, or both into position.

While it depends on the individual, the average treatment time for adults is between 18 months to 3 years.

If the idea of a metal mouth bothers you, ceramic braces offer another option. The brackets match the color of your teeth, which makes them significantly harder to see. Ceramic braces also tend to cost more compared to traditional metal braces.

Invisalign. Invisalign offers patients the chance to skip the wires and brackets associated with traditional braces for clear plastic trays that fit directly over your teeth. Invisalign aligners can be removed when eating, brushing, and flossing, making them an ideal choice for patients looking to have their daily routines unchanged by their orthodontic treatment.

Unfortunately, Invisalign is not a good fit for every patient. Depending on the severity of your misaligned bite or teeth, Invisalign treatment may not be able to answer your orthodontic needs.

If you want to know more about getting about adult braces in Roy, Utah, call our office at 801-776-2290 to schedule your orthodontic consultation with Dr. Carr today!