If you spent your youth wishing you could straighten your teeth, it can be easy to look in the mirror as an adult and think, “Well, I missed my window. Orthodontics is a young person’s game.”
Many adults assume that orthodontic treatment is only for teenagers, or that adult bone cannot handle tooth movement. Neither is the case. With clear aligner systems like SureSmile, tooth movement is possible at a range of ages, and adults can be good candidates for treatment.
Understanding How Teeth Move
To understand why clear aligners can work at a range of ages, we have to look at how teeth actually move. Your roots are held in your jawbone by a network of fibres called the periodontal ligament. The gentle, continuous force from an aligner prompts your body to remodel the bone around the root. This process can occur in adults as well as adolescents. As long as your teeth and gums are healthy, tooth movement is generally possible.
Why Clear Aligners Can Suit Adults
Consistent wear matters more than age in clear aligner treatment. Aligners need to be worn for around 22 hours a day to be effective. Forgetting to put them back in after eating or playing an instrument can be a challenge for some wearers. Adults who can keep to the recommended wear time are often well suited to aligner treatment, which fits with a structured daily routine.
Alignment and Tooth Wear
A misaligned bite can, over time, contribute to uneven wear on the teeth. Decades of chewing with teeth that don’t fit together evenly can cause enamel to chip, flatten, or crack along the edges. Improving alignment may help distribute chewing forces more evenly. Whether this applies to you depends on your individual bite, which Dr. Verma, General Dentist, can assess.
Clear Aligner Treatment for Adults in Langley
If you have been considering straightening your teeth, age alone is not necessarily a barrier. SureSmile aligners are clear and less noticeable than traditional metal braces, and they may be an option at various stages of life. Dr. Verma, General Dentist, can discuss whether clear aligner treatment is suitable for you.
If you are considering clear aligners, schedule a consultation at Banyan Dental in Langley to discuss your options.
