It’s a fact of life, as we age things change! Stiffer joints, possible eyesight, hair, and hearing loss. Just like your body ages, so does your smile, and that explains why more adults are getting braces!

Changes to your teeth can be placed in two broad categories.

How does your smile change?

Wear and Tear

Did you know that the average person eats around 35 tons of food in a lifetime? This goes to show how incredibly durable teeth are to withstand a lifetime of chewing, however, they are not invincible. All that chewing, grinding, and biting slowly breaks down your teeth. On top of the normal wear and tear, if your teeth happen to be in a poor position this breakdown process can be accelerated due to a poor bite. Braces or alternative orthodontic treatment can alleviate many of these problems!

Shifting of Teeth With Age

There’s a saying we like to use “teeth are in bone, not stone.” Bone is a vital organ in your body and just like other organs as we age, the biochemistry and structure of bone changes. Bone loses density and shrinks with age. This change can cause a mismatch between the size of your jaw and teeth leading to crowding, adult orthodontic treatment can improve this!  This crowding process is most commonly seen in lower front teeth.

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS…

 Even though the aging process is inevitable for everyone, you don’t have to accept crowded teeth or bite issues.  According to the American Association of Orthodontists, the number of adults undergoing orthodontic treatment is at an all-time high. Adult braces are in! No matter your age the process of moving teeth remains the same. Treatment may take longer due to denser bones, however, this does not mean you cannot undergo orthodontic treatment to either obtain the smile you always wanted or get your teeth back to the position you had them in when you initially finished orthodontic treatment.

Call today and schedule your complimentary consultation at O’Gara – Gilbert Orthodontics.

For more information on orthodontic care and how it may benefit you visit the American Academy of Orthodontists (AAO) website at www.aaoinfo.org.