Adult braces, can they work for people of all ages?

Smiling at any age feels great. There is no age limit to wanting to feel good about yourself, and it is never too late to improve your smile.
Orthodontic treatment is possible at any age with adult braces or aligners. Many people think it is only for teenage patients, but this is not the case. Teeth can be biologically moved at any age. In fact teeth actually tend to move more out of place as we get older. The biology of tooth movement is the same at any age.

#1 How teeth move naturally and with adult braces or aligners

Teeth are surrounded by a gum attachment called the periodontal ligament.
This is like a shock absorber for the teeth and attaches it to the mandible (lower jaw) or maxilla (upper jaw). Any constant force on the tooth for 14 hours a day or more then stimulates a biological response around the tooth, the bone in front of the tooth softens and then bone is laid down behind the tooth, this means the tooth is able to travel and move away from the force. This is the foundation of orthodontics, and how all braces work.
Different people’s physiology varies, so some people have teeth that move easier and faster, and other people have teeth that move a little slower, but everyone’s teeth can straighten and align.

#2 Effect of age on straightening

As we get older our rate of cellular activity reduces, the mouth is no different. This means we can expect as we get older the teeth may take a little longer to move.
So with aligners some people may benefit from wearing them a little longer than 2 weeks, such as 3 weeks, but the teeth will move into position.
Teeth can be moved no matter how old we are, orthodontics can be successfully carried out at 90 years old even, adults braces are a great way to straighten teeth as they are perfectly safe, only moving the teeth gradually and gently to the place needed – typically 0.2mm -0.3mm at a time.
Unlike fixed adult braces which can have emergencies such as broken wires and brackets, aligners don’t have such emergencies prompting unneeded visits to the emergency dentist.

#3 The perfect braces adults of all ages

At Straight Teeth Direct™ the orthodontists working on the platform actually only supervise adult cases of teens over 18 year old with all their permanent teeth and the good news is that there is no age limit. Why would confidence and self esteem stop after you reach a certain age?! Everybody deserves a smile they love, and you do too, independently of your age.
Some people contacted us saying their local dentist would not provide or recommend adult braces or aligners because they considered it “not worth it” at their age (passed 50).

At Straight Teeth Direct™ age is not a restricting factor and this user, Vicky Lou, said: “I can honestly say, I’m so pleased with Straight Teeth Direct. I was doubtful at first as everything is done online using their app but the whole journey has been fantastic and the customer service is excellent. What I was surprised at is that I didn’t need to have attachments which was great as I’m 46 and didn’t want anyone to know I was having my teeth straightened. My teeth are lovely and straight and I would definitely recommend.”

#4 Adults who may not be suitable for at home aligners

Aligners are great for moving healthy natural teeth.
Having had gum disease is not an issue as long as the gum disease is stable and treated.
They can move teeth with fillings no problem, and even teeth with crowns as long as the crown is securely attached; but if you have had tooth replacements like implants or bridges then aligners may not be suitable for you, as the aligner can’t work on these or grip them like other teeth (it always depends on the individual situation if implants/bridges are an issue or not).
If you have had root canals on the teeth that can be fine too as long as they are healthy, but again this is why a dental checkup and x-rays are important to verify your current oral health. Overall it is important at any age to ensure you are dentally healthy, even more at an older age if you have had a lot of dental work done.

To find out for sure  if you are eligible  you can answer a few questions and send photos of your teeth first. Each case is individually assessed via your free online consultation.