Having Braces as an Adult

[wanderlust]

I went to the dentist today and I've got a lot of issues since my parents could never afford braces when I was younger. Now, I've got at least some kind of insurance and was told that in order to save money in the future, it'd be wise to get braces now. I'm not the kind of person who cares TOO much about how I look, but I'm 24, so walking around with braces seems like it'd be a bit odd. Much less, I'm job-hunting right now and I'm worried it would seem really weird in an interview.

Wouldn't that be worth it though so I don't have to spend thousands upon thousands on dental work over the years? What's your opinion on this? I'm probably going to just suck it up and do it. They said that braces are a lot smaller these days anyway.

[loopyloo]

I spent two unpleasant years wearing braces, but when I think about what my teeth would have been like now I think it was worth it. Aren't there a lot of almost invisible braces now? I wouldn't worry about the job situation. I can see braces might look odd in some senior jobs, but as you are 24 I assume you are not going for those kind of jobs.

[sharlene]

I think you should go ahead and get them! I had braces in my earlier teens and they really make your teeth look amazing in the long run. Even if you don't look that great with them on at this point, remember that it'll definitely be worth it in the end. If I could go back now, I would probably get them all over again because I love my teeth now. Then again, I was about 13 when I had them so appearance didn't matter as much to me. It really depends on how bad your teeth are and if you're willing to go through the whole process of braces.

[herna659]

Get them. They're a pain in the butt but worth it!

[Kleineganz]

I went to the dentist today and I've got a lot of issues since my parents could never afford braces when I was younger. Now, I've got at least some kind of insurance and was told that in order to save money in the future, it'd be wise to get braces now. I'm not the kind of person who cares TOO much about how I look, but I'm 24, so walking around with braces seems like it'd be a bit odd. Much less, I'm job-hunting right now and I'm worried it would seem really weird in an interview.

Wouldn't that be worth it though so I don't have to spend thousands upon thousands on dental work over the years? What's your opinion on this? I'm probably going to just suck it up and do it. They said that braces are a lot smaller these days anyway.

I'm 41 and I am currently wearing braces - however I got the "Invisalign" braces - and unless I tell people I'm wearing them, they honestly don't even notice I have them on! I'd seriously recommend getting Invisalign if you are a good candidate for them. My orthodontist gave me a free evaluation and then laid out what the best treatment plan for me would be, and that really helped my decision.

My family also couldn't afford braces for me when I was a kid and I recently developed some problems with my teeth because of that, and so I decided to go ahead and do this now, or risk needing dentures or implants in 10 years.

[Brooke.]

I'm 41 and I am currently wearing braces - however I got the "Invisalign" braces - and unless I tell people I'm wearing them, they honestly don't even notice I have them on! I'd seriously recommend getting Invisalign if you are a good candidate for them. My orthodontist gave me a free evaluation and then laid out what the best treatment plan for me would be, and that really helped my .

Does invisalign hurt bad? And does insurance cover any of the price, or is it just considered cosmetics?

[wanderlust]

I'm 41 and I am currently wearing braces - however I got the "Invisalign" braces - and unless I tell people I'm wearing them, they honestly don't even notice I have them on! I'd seriously recommend getting Invisalign if you are a good candidate for them. My orthodontist gave me a free evaluation and then laid out what the best treatment plan for me would be, and that really helped my decision.

My family also couldn't afford braces for me when I was a kid and I recently developed some problems with my teeth because of that, and so I decided to go ahead and do this now, or risk needing dentures or implants in 10 years.

What do they feel like?
I just set up a complimentary consultation so I'll have to see if I'm qualified for Invisalign.
If you don't mind my asking, roughly how much did it end up costing? I've got loan payments coming up and I need to figure out how much it might end up putting us out. We've got insurance but it's just average...better than nothing, though.

[wanderlust]

I think you should go ahead and get them! I had braces in my earlier teens and they really make your teeth look amazing in the long run. Even if you don't look that great with them on at this point, remember that it'll definitely be worth it in the end. If I could go back now, I would probably get them all over again because I love my teeth now. Then again, I was about 13 when I had them so appearance didn't matter as much to me. It really depends on how bad your teeth are and if you're willing to go through the whole process of braces.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm willing to go through the process, but the cleaning my teeth thing is also a little daunting. Don't you have to pretty much be meticulous or your teeth will be stained afterward? What was your experience?

[incognito]

If you're not a good candidate for Invisalign, they can actually put the braces on the backs of your teeth so no one would see them. Apparently it makes cleaning your teeth/flossing a lot more difficult, but if you really don't want people to see them it's an option.

[Rosewynn]

I actually see quite a few adults with braces these days. I don't think braces have the same stigma they did years ago.

Invisalign can still hurt. It's still 'fixing' your teeth by slowly shifting them around and each time I got a new one it hurt/was sore for a few days afterwards. And while you don't have the pain of metal slicing in to your gums you can have the plastic rub on them and that hurts. I had to go in a few times and have them file it, but a couple of times even after they did it still hurt and I just had to wait for the next set.

I didn't have a positive experience with Invisalign and wished I had went with normal braces. I paid more for them and followed the instructions and did everything as I was told and I still experienced shifting a year or so afterwards. I feel like there is a grey area between 'good candidate' and 'bad candidate' and I fell in to that category. So IMO if you have a small correction needed Invisalign will probably work great but I would be leery if you need more 'drastic' correction.

[Kleineganz]

I'm 41 and I am currently wearing braces - however I got the "Invisalign" braces - and unless I tell people I'm wearing them, they honestly don't even notice I have them on! I'd seriously recommend getting Invisalign if you are a good candidate for them. My orthodontist gave me a free evaluation and then laid out what the best treatment plan for me would be, and that really helped my decision.

My family also couldn't afford braces for me when I was a kid and I recently developed some problems with my teeth because of that, and so I decided to go ahead and do this now, or risk needing dentures or implants in 10 years.

What do they feel like?
I just set up a complimentary consultation so I'll have to see if I'm qualified for Invisalign.
If you don't mind my asking, roughly how much did it end up costing? I've got loan payments coming up and I need to figure out how much it might end up putting us out. We've got insurance but it's just average...better than nothing, though.

For me they feel tight the first night I put in a new set of aligners (I have to put new ones on every 2 weeks), but within 2-3 days they loosen up quite a bit. You're always aware of them, and you have to take them out to eat, but otherwise they aren't all that bad really.

The base cost is $6,000, but my insurance covered $1500, and then I opted to make a down payment of $1700 (the lowest down payment option for me was $850), and with my down payment, it brings my monthly installments to $155/month (with the lowest down payment, the monthly cost was around $250).

From my understanding, wire braces cost almost as much, so for me being able to do Invisalign was worth it.

[Kleineganz]

I actually see quite a few adults with braces these days. I don't think braces have the same stigma they did years ago.

Invisalign can still hurt. It's still 'fixing' your teeth by slowly shifting them around and each time I got a new one it hurt/was sore for a few days afterwards. And while you don't have the pain of metal slicing in to your gums you can have the plastic rub on them and that hurts. I had to go in a few times and have them file it, but a couple of times even after they did it still hurt and I just had to wait for the next set.

I didn't have a positive experience with Invisalign and wished I had went with normal braces. I paid more for them and followed the instructions and did everything as I was told and I still experienced shifting a year or so afterwards. I feel like there is a grey area between 'good candidate' and 'bad candidate' and I fell in to that category. So IMO if you have a small correction needed Invisalign will probably work great but I would be leery if you need more 'drastic' correction.

I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. My orthodontist actually told me it's ok to file down the invisalign myself anywhere it irritated me (generally the "hooks" for rubber bands in the upper aligners is where I run into issues). I file them down, put on a little Kanka "mouth pain liquid" on the sore spot until it healed (usually just 1 night), and then I'm fine again.

I'm probably a good candidate for Invisalign too. I have some crowding of my front lower teeth, and my upper front teeth overlap a bit, and that's about the only issues that need correction for me.

[peachesnoranges]

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of older people with braces. I got mine at 18 (old compared to the usual age like early teens) and am hopefully getting them off in the summer when I'll be 20!

I think braces are perfect. My teeth weren't too bad to begin with but now when I look at old pictures I am so thankful I got braces. Straight teeth make such a big difference. And having a proper over bite does too.

There's this new thing called invisalign. I think it's more expensive than braces depending where you go. The only thing is, invisalign can only fix some problems. I believe you have to get a new tray every two weeks. Both have their pros and cons.

I think you should go for whatever you decide. If you have any questions about how it feels, the procedure, food, and etc feel free to ask.

[chococaty]

I'm 22 and have braces (getting them off in 3 months yay!) and I got them when I was 20.
I never got them in my teens because I felt guilty asking my parents when they were already paying for private schooling and my teeth weren't terrible to start off with (enough to bother me though).
And I went to multiple interviews with them and got 2 job offers! People really don't care.
A friend of mine has had both braces and invisalign, and she recommended getting braces. Invisalign isn't as effective depending on your teeth issues, and having to brush your teeth immediately after eating before you can put them back in sounds so annoying, especially in public places.

[Diorette]

But invisalign doesn't work for everyone right?
I need braces but I'm so scared of getting them, i'm about to go to the dentist and I think I'll get the invisible ones.

[Rosewynn]

Yes, I am one of those who likes to snack lightly throughout the day versus having a huge dinner etc. It was such a pain in the rear to have to take them off (might gross out others if you do it at the table lol) and then find somewhere to brush after eating before putting them back on. I had a '2 hour max off' window so if I was out to eat with friends I would have to excuse myself right after dinner to the bathroom to brush and put them back in. Then you'd come back and someone would always want you to try their desert haha. I also missed chewing gum.

But invisalign doesn't work for everyone right?
I need braces but I'm so scared of getting them, i'm about to go to the dentist and I think I'll get the invisible ones.

Yeah, it doesn't work for everyone. You can do a Google search or go to their website to see 'typical' cases and their results. Also when you go in for consultation I would HIGHLY suggest to see a case that was nearly identical to yours and the before and after photos a year+ once they were finished. I had crowding and (can't remember the name) but where your canine teeth grow in higher up. I haven't seen a picture of a case like mine which makes me think they messed up with me. But what was weird was they actually were AWESOME when I was finished with my trays. It just didn't 'stick'. I even had my after-care retainer re-done 3 times because of the shifting and then eventually it didn't even fit anymore.

[fauxfox]

I had braces in the second half of high school, for 2.5 years. I had crowding and the canine "fangs" that had come in higher than my other top teeth, although it was sort of cute overall; my parents had to convince me to get braces. I needed 4 molars removed to make the space necessary to straighten my other teeth into place, which wasn't actually a big deal but was terrifying as a concept at the time. I got the tooth-colored type of braces instead of all metal, which cost a bit more but I preferred it aesthetically. You do need to spend more time on brushing, but I wasn't fanatical about it and I didn't get any staining. They can always bleach away stains afterwards, too.

One thing that I will say - I got great results from my braces, but I quickly, quickly learned that my teeth would start shifting if I ignored my retainers. So, I wear my retainers every single night - and it's over 10 years later now. I'll always wear them when I sleep. Is it that critical for everyone? No - but the older you are when you shift your teeth around, the more prone they are to trying to return to their original position. Since mine were moved around quite a bit, they sometimes try to make a run for it in the overnight hours. With my retainers, however, I've managed to keep my original results.

[audrelizabethh]

You guys make me feel a bit better. I'm 17 and I have crowding of upper teeth, my front two are crowded like miley cyrus's kinda and my bottom teeth are nearly perfect, theres a tiny bit of crowding developing that only I would notice, i think because of my wisdom teeth. But I have a really bad overbite so I need to get braces, then lower jaw surgery to fix my bite, and then braces again. Oh and a chip on one front tooth so then i also need teeth bleaching and a veneer. Yikes right? Haha long, expensive process. But I'm considering going for invisalign, if they'll allow me. If not I guess just the least noticable braces possible... ):

[moonlightknight]

I had braces for almost 4 years, from when I was 11 to 14. My teeth were noticeably terrible, and even though it was a pain to have braces, I'm sososo glad I did. I don't think 24 is too old to be shy about your braces, and they aren't noticeable depending on how bad your teeth are. They're are options like those mentioned above and braces that go behind your teeth as well.

As for after I wore a retainer for about a year, and flossing is difficult with the little metal wire they glue in behind your teeth afterwards but you get used to it if you do it regularly! I never got my teeth whitened after and its been more than 2 years, they are pretty white. I plan to get them whitened one day but no stains have appeared!

Your teeth most likely aren't as bad as mine were, but the perfection afterwards is so worth it for anyone! Good luck!

[PipPip]

I'm 24 and currently have braces. I've had them for a little over a year now and don't regret the decision at all. Even one year has made a huge difference. My treatment was $3800 and my monthly bill is $150, with a $250 down payment. If you think you will be self conscious about them you could also try the invisalign, "clear" braces or lingual braces, but they are more expensive. I was very self conscious about my teeth before, so I don't care what people think of my braces because I figure at least they know I'm doing something to improve my teeth and it's only temporary. I'd say go for it.