Adult braces & orthodontics in Allen & McKinney
Adult orthodontics has increased in popularity due to treatment becoming more comfortable and adult braces becoming less noticeable. Over 25% of patients in our practice are adults. We offer free consultations in Allen and McKinney, Texas, and when adults overcome their initial hesitation to come in for a checkup, they are typically pleasantly surprised at their options and the cost.
Is there an age limit for orthodontics?
As long as the gums and the bones around the teeth are healthy, there is no age limit for braces or Invisalign®. At Creekview & McKinney Orthodontics, we have treated patients in their sixties!
Many parents and children are getting their braces or Invisalign treatment done together! Parents often feel since they are in the office with their child anyway, and might as well take advantage of the opportunity to get their braces done, too. In a unique opportunity, Dr. Ghosh treated a child, her mother and her grandmother! Once they were all finished with treatment, we had helped create three generations of great smiles!
We have semi-private areas for adult orthodontic treatment, so they are not seated next to children. Also, many adults take morning appointments, so they are not in the office when we are busy with children after school.
Should an adult get braces?
Adults come in for orthodontic treatment for a variety of reasons:
1. Aesthetics. Many adults have waited a long time to straighten their teeth and are surprised to find that correcting their teeth does not take as long as they think and can be much more discreet with invisible braces options such as Invisalign, lingual braces or clear braces for adults.
2. Oral health. Straightening the teeth makes brushing and flossing so much easier. With studies now showing that periodontal disease is linked to heart disease, more adults are becoming aware of the need to maintain their periodontal health and keeping their teeth straight makes that much easier.
3. Correction of the bite. Many adults are referred to us by their family dentist because they are wearing away their teeth because of an incorrect bite. This leads to more cracks and wear of the enamel, which in turn, leads to more expensive crowns and dental work. A small percentage of adults are referred to us for bite correction to help in correcting problems with their TMJ or jaw joints.
Our adult braces options
Our braces for adults options include:
- Metal braces: Modern metal braces now are much smaller and more comfortable than those used several years ago, and come in different fun shapes and colors. Traditional braces still are the “gold standard” for the final result and quality of treatment.
- Clear braces: Clear braces for adults are made of ceramic materials and are much less visible than metal braces. We also use wires that are tooth-colored to minimize visibility.
- Lingual braces (behind-the-teeth braces): These types of braces can be effective with certain types of crowding. We often use these types of braces for parents of our patients who have lower incisor crowding
- Invisalign®: Invisalign uses a series of clear, custom-made and removable aligner trays that gradually straighten your teeth.
The length of orthodontic treatment will depend on the issues that need to be addressed and the chosen orthodontic treatment method. Limited orthodontic treatment (which may involve alignment of the front teeth only) often takes as little as 6 months.
Invisalign® vs. braces
Traditional orthodontics involves the use of braces. Brackets are placed on the teeth, and wires are fed through them to move teeth into their proper position. Invisalign clear aligners involve a series of clear removable plastic trays to move teeth a little at a time to their final positions. While Invisalign has become very popular due to its appearance and ability to remove aligners for eating and brushing, they have some limitations. We use Invisalign to correct crowding but not for cases where bite correction is needed. Also, they will only work if patients wear them for at least 22 hours daily. Keeping them out of the mouth for longer than two hours a day severely limits their effectiveness.
Drs. Ghosh and Lofgren, as orthodontists, are trained to correct the bite while improving aesthetics and do their best to educate the patient on which option is best for them.
Drs. Ghosh and Lofgren are Blue Diamond+ Invisalign® providers, a designation reserved for the top 1% of providers in the country!
How much do braces cost for adults?
The cost of braces for adults will vary depending on the severity of your orthodontic issues and the treatment method chosen. The costs of shorter treatments are considerably less, and many dental insurances cover adult orthodontics. We also offer payment plans and many patients in our practice have also taken advantage of flexible spending or health savings accounts (FSA/HSA) either at year-end or in planning for the next year to use pre-tax dollars for their adult braces.
