Orthodontics for adults,
is it a possible treatment or it is a treatment intended only for children?
A question that is asked quite a bit because orthodontic treatment is usually performed at a younger ages, around the age of 12 which is also the most recommended age for performing orthodontics for children.
Think for a moment:
How many children have you seen with a dental bridge for the purpose of teeth straightening?
Lots… How many adults have you seen with a bridge? A little.
Therefore orthodontic treatment is perceived as a more appropriate treatment for children or young people and it is true. At the same time orthodontics for adults is still possible, it is true that there are limitations but it is definitely a possible treatment.
The rise in awareness and the high aesthetic requirements have made orthodontic treatment more common in both children and adults. Evolutionary development has caused a decrease in our bony development (bone growth) which creates dental density (in the teeth) and closure defects.
Our jaws are less large and wide, the modern nutritional requirements do not require the application of chewing forces because most of our food is soft, so the bone and arch of the teeth remain relatively small leaving little room for tooth growth and creating density and closure defects.
Hence also the increasing demand for orthodontic treatment, orthodontics for both adults and children.
What are the limitations for performing orthodontics for adults?
Mechano-biological limitations:
This limitation refers to bone density and blood supply.
After all, in order to move teeth, we must first cause bone resorption and then the tooth can move. And in the second stage a good blood supply is required for building a bone back and then the tooth stabilizes in its new position.
It is an ongoing process of demolition and construction. This process is a routine process during the development of the body at a young age in children. When the growth process is over, the bone becomes denser, harder and also the blood supply decreases which makes it difficult for the teeth to move and the orthodontic treatment.
Limitations in the jaw joints:
The basis for this limitation again relates to our growth process.
It is easier to correct a closure defect and affect the joints while growing at a young age, the joints move that will pass to the new state quickly and easily. But in old age this process happens very slowly which can produce disorders and pain.
Periodental restrictions:
This limitation refers to the condition of the gums and the supporting tissue.
Children have almost no gum disease, with age the incidence of gum disease increases. Orthodontic intervention, orthodontics for adults can aggravate the condition, even cause tooth loss!
Existing restorations:
The likelihood of complex treatments such as root canals and crowns in older ages is more common in adults than in children. These restorations can interfere while performing orthodontics for adults, sometimes even making treatment impossible.
Psychological and health limitations:
The level of expectations is very high, it takes a lot of patience to perform optimal treatment, adults are generally motivated but impatient. In addition, a medical history such as diabetes can affect the quality of treatment, and in cases of osteoporosis for example it is forbidden to perform orthodontics for adults. It is therefore very important to do general tests and check medical history before doing adult orthodontics.
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If you address these limitations and take everything into consideration the treatment is definitely possible and the success rates are high.
It’s never too late.
Everything is possible. Talk to us and we will help you find the way to do it as right as possible.
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