Getting braces as an adult can feel like a challenge. As a society, we have all of these assumptions about braces and the appropriate time to receive orthodontic care. The truth is that these are fairly meaningless perceptions. Let’s look at how adult braces can boost confidence.
How Adult Braces Can Boost Confidence
Braces are an important aspect of orthodontic care, and there isn’t a cut-off age where you stop requiring orthodontic care. In fact, if you’ve never received orthodontic care or your teeth have shifted since you last had braces, straightening your teeth can be even more important to your overall dental health and confidence as an adult.
Why Braces Really Matter
There is a tendency to overemphasize the aesthetic importance of straight teeth. The truth is orthodontics in Burbank does not exist solely to make your smile more attractive. In fact, the most important aspect of orthodontics is the fact that it makes the daily maintenance of your teeth more feasible.
Straight teeth are easier to brush and floss. There is no overlap and manageable gaps are much easier to keep clean. When your teeth are crowded, it can be very difficult to actually clear out excess food, bacteria, and plaque.
The inability to properly clean your teeth and gums is always a problem, and your dentist in Burbank will need to intervene repeatedly to keep your teeth in good repair. As you get older, these problems have the potential to pile up and cause serious damage.
Braces are actually a long-term, oral healthcare solution that simplifies your daily maintenance and reduces the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Ultimately, braces enable you to keep your smile healthy, which can be a major contributor to your daily self-esteem.
Recognizing the Value of Appearance
Straightening your teeth is important for your long-term oral health, but there are also clear aesthetic benefits. For better or worse, American social norms are built on smiles. As a society, we smile more than virtually any other culture on the planet, and we fill those smiles with important layers of meaning.
We use our smiles to convey our good intentions, to earn the trust of new acquaintances, and to express our joy on a daily basis. These are vital interactions that shape the way we view one another. As a result, if you don’t feel comfortable using a full smile due to crooked teeth, it may have a negative effect on your social interactions.
Sure, you may feel a little self-conscious about wearing braces for a little while, but once you’re done you will feel more comfortable smiling whenever the occasion arises. It won’t change your mood or confidence in a day, but you will reap the benefits over time.
Alternatives to Traditional Braces
When you think about braces, you likely picture metal brackets and colorful elastics. It’s an image that we associate with pre-teens and adolescents that you may not want to have associated with you as a fully-grown adult.
If this is a concern that is preventing you from accessing orthodontic care, then you should know that orthodontists now have a number of other tools at their disposal. With the creation of Invisalign and the use of lingual braces, you have multiple options that are practically invisible to the naked eye, including Invisalign and lingual braces.
Looking At Potential Alternatives
Invisalign: This alternative to traditional braces uses a series of removable trays to slowly move your teeth into alignment. This is a great option for patients with mild to moderate malocclusion.
However, their greatest benefit can also be their biggest downfall. The fact that the trays are removable makes them very convenient for eating and cleaning your teeth. Unfortunately, it can also be tempting to remove them for more than the one hour per day that is recommended.
Lingual Braces: This alternative choice is practically identical to traditional braces except for the fact that they are connected to the backs of your teeth. It’s great that they can’t be seen. But it can also take time for you to end up used to them being present.