Adult Treatment

It is common and even normal for teeth to shift as we age. You are not alone. There are many potential factors contributing to the shift:

• Stress on your teeth, such grinding while you sleep.
• Bone density and muscle softening. with age, the density of your jaw bone and muscle mass reduces, and the jaw starts shrinking in size. This results in a disparity between the size of the jawbone and the teeth, which may lead to crowding or overlapping of teeth, according to the American Association of Orthodontists.
• Failure to wear retainers. If you've had orthodontic treatment previously and aren't still wearing retainers, your body wants your teeth to revert back to their crooked state, leaving your once straight teeth less so as you age.
• Poor dental hygiene. If poor oral care has caused you to lose a tooth, most likely other teeth will shift into that space causing misalignment.
• Injury or impact to your teeth or mouth.

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Absolutely not! Orthodontics can improve your smile at any age, and now, there are even a variety of treatment options available to adults, like braces and Invisalign. Some of the benefits include:

• Easier cleaning: Straight teeth are easier to brush and floss, which reduces the risk of cavities and gum disease.
• Reduced wear: Correct alignment prevents uneven wear on tooth enamel and can reduce the risk of bone loss.
• Make space for a crown or implant: Orthodontic treatment can create proper alignment and space for other dental procedures, such as implants or crowns. 
• Better chewing: A corrected bite improves the ability to chew food efficiently, which can also aid digestion.
• Improved speech: Addressing issues like gaps or overcrowding can help correct speech impediments or pronunciation problems.
• Address pain: Correcting an improper bite can reduce or eliminate pain from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and headaches. 
• Boosted confidence: A straighter smile can lead to greater self-esteem, which may positively impact professional and social interactions.
• Enhanced appearance: A beautiful smile makes you look younger!
• Correction of relapse: Treatment can correct shifting teeth that may have occurred after previous orthodontic work. 

Yes, insurance covers a portion of adult orthodontics depending on your individual insurance plan. In the past, it was fairly unusual to see orthodontic coverage on a dental policy for patients over the age of either 19 or 26. However, we are now seeing more insurance companies offer this benefit for adults. If you already have a dental insurance policy in effect, we are happy to check the possible benefits for you and let you know how much, if anything, your insurance coverage would pay towards your orthodontic treatment. If you don't yet have a policy, check with the Human Resources department at your company to ask specifically if the plan your employer offers includes adult orthodontic coverage before you sign up. 

Tollgate Orthodontics offers private and semi-private treatment spaces within our office so adults won't have to sit right next to children and vice-versa. Our consultation spaces allow you to ask questions and receive treatment without other patients looking on. 

We also know that our adult patients may have work schedules or commitments that require them to make appointments outside of “typical” 9-5 timeslots. We therefore offer late appointments and virtual consultations to accommodate these requests. 

When you have a missing tooth, your remaining teeth will naturally shift over into that open area of your gums. If the other teeth have moved, there may not be enough space there for your dentist to fit a replacement. By getting orthodontic treatment first, you will be aligning your whole arch and optimizing the space replacement.