{Health/Dentistry}
Dr.Saud Al-Anezi
Specialist Orthodontist
25
Dr. Saud Al-Anezi is a Specialist Orthodontist working for the Ministry of Health in Kuwait. Dr. Saud gets an indescribable joy giving a beautiful smile to his patients after removing their braces. His favorite quote is "Do what you love and love what you do"
I am old, can I have braces treatment ? A common question the orthodontist (braces doctor) gets asked is: I am over 30 years old, can I have braces treatment? Adults form great proportion of patients attending for orthodontic treatment, recent research shows that adults (defined as those above the age of 18 years) make up approximately 22% in the USA and it would seem that this trend is being followed here in Kuwait. One explanation for this rise in adults seeking braces treatment, is that they are becoming increasingly conscious of the appearance of their teeth. There is pressure from the modern society on individuals to improve their shape and certainly the alignment of their teeth and their smile.
Although orthodontic (braces) treatment can be delivered to adults, there are some factors and facts that the potential patient needs to consider and be aware of. On average, most of the growth is completed by the age of 16 in females and 18 in males. Jaw growth is seen as an essential adjunct to orthodontic treatment and will facilitate dramatically the progress of treatment. In adults, whom are lacking growth, the treatment duration may be longer than treatment in adolescents. Periodontal disease (gum problems) and dental fillings/crowns/implants are more likely to be present in adults than in adolescents. That may add to the complexity of treatment. However, proving that the health of the teeth and their surrounding tissue is established and there is no “active” disease, it is still possible to proceed with the treatment. On the other hand, adults are more likely to comply with the instructions of the doctor since they made the decision to have the treatment and were not forced into braces. This is not the case in some of our adolescent patients because of the fact that their parents “wanted” them to have braces against their will. Finally, any adult seeking braces treatment should be aware of the new developments in more “Aesthetic” braces options than having the traditional “train-track” metal braces. The clear or ceramic brackets is one option where the braces parts will move teeth in the same way as the train-track braces but they are not showing clearly and are almost invisible. In addition, people may choose to have the” Lingual” or tongue side braces (Fig.1) i.e. braces components are placed on the teeth from the inside or the tongue side. That way they are completely invisible. Lastly, if the setup of the teeth is not too bad and only small amount of correction is required, a clear or invisible aligners can be used (Fig.2). The idea of this option is that people wear clear gum-shield type aligners which are pre-programmed in the dental laboratory and will move the teeth incrementally to achieve the perfect smile.
January 2013