For many people, as children they would visit the dentist and come away with a brace or other form of orthodontics to fix a problem that was just starting with their teeth. But this wasn’t always possible for everyone and this left people as adults with teeth alignment issues and other problems. However, the development of adult orthodontics in recent years means these problems now have a solution at all ages.
Why adult orthodontics is different
There are a number of reasons why adult orthodontics are very different to those for children. For example, bones grow harder as we age and this means working on the jaw can be more difficult. Aging tissues also means that tooth adjustments take longer – this is known as biomechanical limitations. Issues with blood supply can lead to problems with mild gingivitis infections and also marginal bone loss.
There can also be issues where teeth have been removed in the past. These may not be suitable areas for teeth to move into unless some work is done with the bone. Similarly, closing the gap between teeth can be much more difficult as adult bones doesn’t react to treatment in the same way that children’s growing bones do.
What treatments are available?
While there can be limitations due to problems such as these, the expanded techniques that has led to adult orthodontics also means there are plenty of treatments that can be done and steps taken to overcome the age-related issues.
Bite correction is something often done with children when bones and teeth are still growing. This is much more difficult with adults as there is no room for teeth to grow in a new direction. However adult orthodontics experts can help make a bit functional rather than perfect and ease the related problems.
Finding an expert
The key to undergoing any adult orthodontics procedure is that you deal with an expert in such treatments. They will be able to deal with the psychosocial factors of such treatment as well as the physical ones – this involves areas such as treatment expectations, concern about appearance, discomfort while wearing appliances and the willingness to work with orthodontic instructions.
That’s why it is important to work with dentists who specialist in adult orthodontics as well as those for children. If you live in the Cardiff area, you can visit such a dentist at:
Embrace Orthodontics,
7 Cwrt-y-Parc,
Earlswood Road,
Llanishen,
Cardiff,
CF14 5GH
