Adult braces

[Claire Claire]

Hi, I'm 38 years old and have a big overbite and don't like my smile. Have seen an orthonditist who's said I'll need surgery to take out teeth to put braces on due to overcrowding. My teeth aren't in the best shape. I don't know where to begin with my treatment. Can you put braces on teeth that aren't fantastically healthy?

 

[MattKW]

Well, there has to be no active decay underway, so first you need to get everything in order before starting ortho. It would also depend which teeth the ortho wanted extracted - there's no need to fix up any decay in those particular teeth. Other things might matter too, like the ortho will not want you to have crowns or veneers placed until after his treatment. I'd get a treatment plan from a dentist, and then cross-check it with what the ortho wants to do.

 

[Uptown101]

The first step is getting a referral, usually from a dentist. Your first meeting with the orthodontist will be the consultation. He will look at your teeth and determine what needs to be done in order to straighten your teeth, or if you would even benefit from an orthodontic treatment. After the consultation, the orthodontist will design a treatment that is specific to your needs. Not every person has an underbite or an overbite,and not every person has gaps in their teeth or overcrowding. This initial appointment will be much longer than any of the future appointments. It involves conditioning the surface of the teeth, to provide a place to cement on the brackets, cementing the brackets in place, and placing the first wire.